SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department (SPD) declared an anti-police union demonstration in SODO a riot Sunday night. Six police officers were injured, and 18 people were arrested.
One officer was hospitalized and released but has not returned to duty.
Police said in a news release the violence erupted during a protest Sunday night against the Seattle Police Officers Guild. Someone set off a large explosive and attempted to break the window of a police vehicle.
Bottles, rocks, and fireworks were reportedly thrown at officers after the crowd was ordered to disperse.
Police have released bodycam video of some of the explosives being thrown at them.
The SPD said blast balls and pepper spray were used to disperse the crowd.
Of the arrests made over the weekend, Seattle police referred four cases for review, according to a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence to meet the office’s filing standards to request bail.
Seattle police will continue to investigate and gather evidence for prosecutors.
None of the four cases submitted for review so far involve suspects accused of injuring police officers, the prosecuting attorney's office said.
“We cannot overemphasize the important distinction between people who are gathered to non-violently air grievances against their government and those who take advantage of the otherwise peaceful protest to commit acts of violence, victimize peaceful protesters, or commit acts of arson, property destruction and theft,” Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the office said in an email. “Each of the cases we file are public, and we believe that when people in the community read those public documents they’ll see the distinction, too.”
The cases will be reviewed by prosecutors on Tuesday.