Seattle Police Will Retake CHOP Following Two Shootings, Mayor Durkan Says

The so-called “Capitol Hill Organised Protest”, or “CHOP”, was established by protesters in the vicinity of Capitol Hill about two weeks ago, after police retreated from the East Precinct in the area, with Durkan’s approval.

Seattle authorities will take back control over the “CHOP”, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on Monday, following two shootings that left a 19-year-old man dead and two more people injured.

She added that the city prefers a negotiated solution to a stand-off, but Seattle police chief Carmen Best said that they will seek greater authority to use force, which has been constrained by a local court’s order.

Best added that although most demonstrators who set up tents in the neighborhood have been peaceful, there are also “groups of individuals engaging in shootings, rape, assaults, burglary, arson, and property destruction”.

Seattle police have been unable to respond to crime incidents within the “CHOP” for nearly two weeks, as protesters set up armed guards at its perimetre preventing the authorities from entering the zone. The protests have been mostly peaceful, but there have been reports about businesses being asked to pay a “fee” to operate within the CHOP and residents being requested to show IDs to prove they live in the area.

Police said that on Saturday night, when a 17-year old was shot dead and a 33-year old was critically wounded, law-enforcement officers were met with a hostile crowd that prevented them from getting to the victims.

One of the protest leaders, David Lewis, said that CHOP medics had to transport the wounded to a hospital themselves after municipal first responders refused to enter the area.

When asked if the police were allowed inside, Lewis said that officers did “a perimetre check and we confirmed with them that the shooter was gone”. He said that it’s “a community decision” whether to let police on the grounds.

In both cases, the shooters fled. Police and protesters have provided no comments on the circumstances and motives. Best said the investigation is ongoing. Lewis added that he doesn’t believe it was a hate crime.

Durkan, who has been a supporter of the protesters in her city, has been heavily criticised by the federal authorities for her handling of the situation. President Donald Trump tweeted that Durkan was probably even “worse” than New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who Trump has also slammed for his response to the protests against police brutality, which have sometimes turned violent.

Sourse: sputniknews.com