The Seattle Police Department managed a series of demonstrations throughout the day on Saturday, May 30th, 2020. In the early hours of the day, many of these groups were demonstrating peacefully, but by midafternoon several incidents quickly devolved into situations that endangered the lives of those demonstrating as well as our officers. At approximately, 2:45 pm Saturday, a peaceful demonstration at Westlake Park continued as groups in the vicinity of Westlake at 5th and Pine began to escalate. At approximately 3:55 pm, demonstrations began to grow across the entire city to approximately 10,000 individuals.
By mid-day Sunday, May 31st, we know there were hundreds of buildings and businesses damaged including more than 90 at least 25 businesses in the Chinatown-International District. At least 8 cars were burned and additional vehicles were damaged. We are not aware of any serious injuries, but we do know there were community members injured and at least 6 officers injured. There were 57 arrests, most for burglary and assault, on May 30.
For full transparency to the public of the timeline of events, below is an initial timeline of major events on Saturday, May 30 that were reported through Seattle Police Operational Command and Seattle Fire Department in real time. This reflects ongoing calls on the police scanner. In a rapidly evolving situation, please note this is not a comprehensive timeline of all events reported nor a complete damage assessment. Some reported events may be inaccurately reported. Working with residents and businesses, we expect additional damage assessments and updates to occur in the next few days.
| Time | Saturday May 30 |
| 6:00:00 AM | SPOC Activated |
| 9:31:56 AM | Radio called to report a citizen called, stating that Antifa is to gather at Westlake at noon per a Twitter feed. RTCC informed |
| 11:00:00 AM | EOC Activation |
| 11:29:10 AM | 50 People at SPD HQ |
| 11:42:40 AM | Approximately 100 people at SPD HQ |
| 12:22:27 PM | Approximately 1000 people at SPD HQ |
| 1:08:29 PM | Speakers at SPD HQ are encouraging them to join Westlake event |
| 1:58:28 PM | 5/Cherry bottles thrown at officers |
| 1:58:41 PM | 5/Madison- rocks and bottles thrown |
| 2:00:49 PM | 5/James bottles thrown |
| 2:19:35 PM | Approximately 4000-5000 crowd size at Westlake |
| 2:32:17 PM | Crowd is more hostile on 5/Pine. Bikes from 4/Pine to 5/Pine |
| 2:36:33 PM | 5/Pine rocks and bottles |
| 2:38:15 PM | rocks and bottles- unlawful assembly- need dispersal order |
| 2:39:07 PM | taking glass bottles 5/Pine |
| 2:39:16 PM | officer exposed- need medical |
| 2:40 PM | SPD officer injured. SFD Deployed. |
| 2:45:44 PM | SFD to 6/pine. Individual pepper sprayed. |
| 2:59:53 PM | Projectiles being thrown 5/Pine |
| 3:01:18 PM | Officer struck in the throat by a projectile. Minor injury |
| 3:09:00 PM | Patient was pushed to the ground during the protest. Transported to HMC by AMR. |
| 3:10:20 PM | Dispersal orders given at 5/pine |
| 3:35:14 PM | Large crowd headed to HQ- currently 5/Columbia |
| 3:43:00 PM | SPD officer injured. |
| 3:46:25 PM | Throwing bottles in front of Bartells at 5/Olive |
| 3:52:45 PM | SFD to 3/Pine for injured officers |
| 3:53:56 PM | Patrol car being vandalized in front of Old Navy |
| 3:55:53 PM | Patrol car on fire by Old Navy |
| 3:59:19 PM | Crowd is on I-5 |
| 4:01:55 PM | SFD inquiring if they can get in to handle the car fire at 5/Pine. Negative – Don’t have a perimeter around it. |
| 4:02:38 PM | Assault on officers 5/Olive- |
| 4:04:50 PM | Molotov cocktail thrown at the police vehicle |
| 4:05:22 PM | Hundred individuals head toward SPD HQ |
| 4:06:14 PM | Thousands on I-5 SB |
| 4:07:09 PM | Call for Resources to HQ ASAP |
| 4:08:02 PM | SFD is at 5/Olive needing to get through to the injured officer |
| 4:10:24 PM | HQ under siege |
| 4:14:26 PM | Radio: 6/Pine rifle from police vehicle |
| 4:15:03 PM | HQ is taking bottles |
| 4:15:41 PM | DHS Alert: Social media user stated he will join Seattle protest and has desire to kill Law Enforcement officials |
| 4:18:09 PM | Approximately 1200 at HQ, HQ taking bottles |
| 4:18:37 PM | 5/Pine: Police rifle was turned in to officers |
| 4:21:38 PM | Large crowd headed toward the West Pct. Make sure infrastructure in place. |
| 4:26:12 PM | SPOC made a regional mutual aid request made via EOC |
| 4:26:53 PM | Paintballs being thrown at HQ |
| 4:27:30 PM | Officers being assaulted at HQ |
| 4:30:32 PM | Reports of items being thrown at HQ smell like accelerants |
| 4:31:17 PM | 5/Union Molotov cocktail are being made |
| 4:31:26 PM | More resources are coming to HQ |
| 4:32:11 PM | Crowd attempting to break windows 5/Olive |
| 4:36:40 PM | Reports of a fire at Pacific Place |
| 4:39:24 PM | Vehicle torched |
| 4:39:24 PM | Car fire. No reported injuries. Unsafe for crews to operate. |
| 4:43:12 PM | Report of man walking up the stairs at Yesler/5 Ave overpass with rifle |
| 4:43:58 PM | Mayor’s office will announce 5pm curfew |
| 4:45:22 PM | Smoke coming into Nordstrom’s building. |
| 5:02:00 PM | SFD en Route to Auto fire Alarm at City Hall |
| 5:12:55 PM | HQ is under control – Crowd about 100 |
| 5:16:33 PM | 4/Battery – Approximately 1000 in the street |
| 5:22:30 PM | 5/James officers taking rocks. Molotov cocktail 1500 blk of 6th. Need resources |
| 5:25:39 PM | 4/Pine occupied vehicle windshields shattered |
| 5:28:27 PM | Starbucks is being looted |
| 5:29:54 PM | Reports of break in at King County Admin building |
| 5:31:15 PM | 300 individuals heading toward the West Pct |
| 5:31:59 PM | Nordstrom on 6th windows broken |
| 5:34:04 PM | 2 city owned vehicles burned |
| 5:35:26 PM | 6/Stewart officer is surrounded in his vehicle. Units en route. |
| 5:38:00 PM | Reported arson, dumpster fire with no exposures. No injuries reported. |
| 5:40:27 PM | KC admin building damage. Windows broken. |
| 5:40:43 PM | Looting at Nordstrom’s. Resources en route. |
| 5:42:35 PM | 5/pine injured officer hit in the face. Medic needed will meet at 1500 blk of 5th |
| 5:43:00 PM | SPD officer injured. |
| 5:56:15 PM | Taking rocks at 6/Olive |
| 5:56:40 PM | Objects being thrown 5/Pine |
| 5:57:09 PM | Injured officer 6/Olive |
| 5:57:00 PM | SPD officer injured. |
| 5:58:13 PM | 6/Olive way objects thrown |
| 5:59:06 PM | 6/Olive – Lasers pointed at officers |
| 6:43:16 PM | Potential fire at North Face |
| 6:47:32 PM | Large group throwing rocks and bottles 9/Pine |
| 6:50:53 PM | 9/Pine need assistance- heavy rocks and bottles |
| 7:02:00 PM | Broken Windows East Side 1500 blk of 5th |
| 7:10:29 PM | Breaching additional stores/breaking windows |
| 7:12:00 PM | 2 vehicles on fire. No injuries reported. |
| 7:14:13 PM | Significant property damage 1500 blk 5th. |
| 7:15:53 PM | Car fire in front of Ben Bridge, subjects breaking in Ben Bridge |
| 7:18:01 PM | WSP car damaged at 4/Pike |
| 7:18:40 PM | SFD waiting on an escort to 4/Pike |
| 7:21:04 PM | 20 people trying to break into Target |
| 7:29:25 PM | 300+ to north and another 150 + to the south – approximately 500 total. |
| 7:34:00 PM | Reports of arson via security camera. Small fire extinguished on its own. |
| 7:48:00 PM | Reports of Arson |
| 7:59:43 PM | Large group forming in front of Pacific Place |
| 8:03:00 PM | Caller reports person starting fire at construction site. |
| 8:06:14 PM | 2 in custody for looting Carhart |
| 8:09:00 PM | SPD reports car fire. No injuries reported. |
| 8:09:00 PM | WSP officer injured. |
| 8:17:05 PM | Multiple locations being looted |
| 8:23:17 PM | Report of a fire inside Nordstrom |
| 8:24:12 PM | Multiple windows being broken at Post Office. |
| 8:26:03 PM | Group of 200-300, 3/University, breaking windows as they move. |
| 8:27:19 PM | Group of looters 6/Olive NW corner |
| 8:39:06 PM | Valley CDU released to attend to obligations in their own jurisdiction |
| 8:39:51 PM | Looters at Walgreens at Pike |
| 8:41:04 PM | Looter reentering Bartell |
| 8:42:27 PM | Officer hit with projectile on the head |
| 8:46:51 PM | Walgreens- 2 in custody |
| 8:47:53 PM | Looting, Tabaco store 3/Pine |
| 8:48:42 PM | Individual spray-painted kill cops on the side of the building – Pendleton store |
| 8:49:50 PM | Handgun at Robins Brothers jewelry store |
| 8:54:15 PM | Large group near 4/Pine smashing windows |
| 8:58:41 PM | Citywide: all traffic resources to block traffic coming into downtown |
| 8:59:16 PM | Multiple looting occurring, bikes to go mobile to deter |
| 9:05:10 PM | Rocks and bottles 5/Pine, transport needed for 4 prisoners at 5/pine |
| 9:13:39 PM | Westlake center reports of 10 individuals with crowbars attacking security. Units there not seeing anything. |
| 9:20:10 PM | Looting at Pacific Place |
| 9:28:46 PM | Per South ACT officers: 2 rifles, handgun compact, gloc 9mm in a fanny pack |
| 9:32:20 PM | 10 Sheriff deputies to west to handle 911 calls, 8 going to East, 20 will rove downtown |
| 9:33:14 PM | Men’s Warehouse looting |
| 9:37:22 PM | Looters at Bartells 5/Olive resources being requested |
| 9:39:01 PM | Jewelry store 5/University broken into |
| 9:39:49 PM | 5/pine highly agitated male with body armor and rifle |
| 9:42:21 PM | Stabbing 5/pike need medic, stab wound to abdomen |
| 9:45:25 PM | Requesting 5/Pike for scene security |
| 9:46:35 PM | Reports of bats being swung on 1st- units responding |
| 9:47:29 PM | 523 union – Bank has live feed of 2 people in the bank |
| 9:51:50 PM | 10-20 subjects lighting items on fire 2nd floor pacific place |
| 9:52:56 PM | Bellevue SWAT enroute to check on fire at Pacific Place. |
| 9:54:38 PM | Looters back at Vans |
| 9:54:54 PM | 3 in custody at Walgreens 3/Pike |
| 9:55:24 PM | Units in the area of Westlake, reports of people on the roof of Pacific Place… Radio: its security. They locked themselves up there, Bellevue SWAT enroute. |
| 9:56:18 PM | Fire enroute to NorthFace looters are setting fire. Units are clearing the building. |
| 10:04:32 PM | Looting at Nordstrom’s. |
| 10:10:39 PM | Looting at Patagonia. |
| 10:12:14 PM | Units taking bottles, explosives from the crowd 6/Pine. |
| 10:20:28 PM | Reports shooting from a silver Malibu 3/pike |
| 10:27:59 PM | Pursuit en route NB I-5 |
| 10:29:56 PM | Vehicle in pursuit has crashed |
| 10:32:58 PM | One in custody I 5 onramp Dearborn |
| 10:38:00 PM | Looting at Northface |
| 10:38:14 PM | Looting at Verizon |
| 10:41:24 PM | Vans and Bartells waiting for transport |
| 10:51:13 PM | Looter inside Target, 2nd floor |
| 11:03:59 PM | 1/Pine subjects breaking into Seattle T shirt Shop |
| 11:04:12 PM | 1/Blanchard subjects in the Robins Brothers Jewelry store |
| 11:08:21 PM | 3 in custody at Pacific place 7/olive need additional resources |
| 11:10:38 PM | 2 arrested at Target |
| 11:10:51 PM | 2/Union firearm recovered |
| 11:11:04 PM | Looters at Arcteryx |
| 11:12:28 PM | Need additional units at North Face |
| 11:13:03 PM | Bellevue SWAT enroute to Arcteryx |
| 11:14:05 PM | Request for assistance at North Face |
| 11:14:43 PM | Large group entering Smoke Shop |
| 11:16:17 PM | Bellevue SWAT heading to North Face |
| 11:16:25 PM | Units under control at NorthFace |
| 11:26:34 PM | T mobile Looting |
| 11:26:54 PM | Looting at Cupcake Royale |
| 11:27:32 PM | Looting Elliott Ave/Bell St |
| 11:29:11 PM | 2/Pike for another arrest |
| 11:30:45 PM | Target – 2nd Ave on 3rd floor man destroying electronics area with garbage can |
| 11:34:48 PM | Bellevue SWAT – citizen reporting someone stuck in the elevator on McDonalds side |
| 11:48:18 PM | Looting at Carhart |
*Please note this ends at midnight for 5/30/2020*