Police arrested six people for property destruction, pedestrian interference, and obstruction at demonstrations outside the East Precinct over the weekend.
At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday, police observed via camera several individuals vandalizing the exterior of the East Precinct. Four people were arrested and booked into the King County Jail for property destruction. Although the vandals appeared to use chalk and charcoal for the graffiti, the writing did not come off in the rain and may need to be professionally cleaned.
Under the Seattle Municipal Code:
A person is guilty of property destruction if he or she:
1. Intentionally damages the property of another; or
2. Writes, paints or draws any inscription, figure or mark of any type on any public or private building or other structure or any real or personal property owned by any other person.
Saturday evening, another group of individuals came to the East Precinct and immediately began marking on the wall. Some wrote with chalk while others used spray paint. Members of the group were all dressed in black, making it difficult to identify suspects. When officers approached the group, they began to march – pulling garbage cans and street signs into the roadway as they went. Police made multiple warning announcements to the group advising them not to create road hazards. When the actions persisted, officers arrested a 26-year-old woman for pedestrian interference. In a search of the suspect after arrest, officers recovered three cans of spray paint. After that arrest, a second suspect tried to block a patrol car from leaving the area and struck the vehicle with his hand. When police attempted to contact the 23-year-old he ran, but he was quickly caught and arrested for pedestrian interference and obstruction. Both suspects were booked into the King County Jail.
