KING COUNTY, Wash. — King County Metro said it will no longer provide transportation service for law enforcement officers to demonstrations or protests.
Previously, Metro would provide out-of-service buses to police officers or state troopers who were serving at public events, including the Seattle demonstrations protesting the killing of George Floyd.
Metro made buses available to law enforcement on May 30 and June 1. Those officers were from Metro Transit Police, Seattle Police Department and nearby police departments, and the Washington State Patrol. Protesters were never transported via Metro bus, according to the agency.
On June 3, Metro leadership told Seattle PD that it could not facilitate requests directly due to the frequency, duration, and scope - directing the police department to make requests through the County's Emergency Operations Center.
More recently, Metro said it "considered more broadly the appropriate relationship between a transit agency and law enforcement."
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"At Metro, we are guided by King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, we follow the direction of the Equity Cabinet’s Mobility Framework to prioritize service to areas of highest need, and we are dedicated to dismantling racism. We redoubled that commitment following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others by police," the agency said in a statement.
Metro said that "under no circumstances" will the agency provide law enforcement buses to demonstrations or protests.