Seattle police officers tried to reach shooting victims inside the Seattle autonomous zone known as the CHOP or CHAZ. They encountered angry resistance and what they described as a “violent crowd.” You can watch body cam video released by Seattle police below, but be aware that it contains graphic language.
Here’s the video released by police:
Police explained that the video “includes officers’ body worn camera footage and other open-source videos.” In the video, police say, “Please move out of the way so we can get to the victim! All we want to do is get to the victim!” Protesters should, “Put your guns down!”
Police also released the complete CAD run of the shootings. You can read it here. It’s basically a dispatch log.
The Seattle “Autonomous Zone” is a six-block area of the State of Washington city that includes the now abandoned east police precinct. It’s called “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” or the CHAZ or CHOP for short. (CHOP stands for Capitol Hill Organized Protest). Protesters took over the area after the police left the precinct and declared it “autonomous.” Blockades identify the CHAZ’s borders. A sign reads, “You are now leaving the USA.”
Raz Simone, the so-called warlord of CHOP, posted a video showing fire department paramedics waiting at the edges. According to The Seattle Times, they won’t go into CHOP with police accompanying them.
Medics refused to help even after people in the CHOP begged. They let our bro bleed out for 30 minutes till he died. Fuck politics. Fuck your currupt system.
Here’s what you need to know:
Police Say Two People Were Shot & One Person Died
Police received a report that there was a “person shot or shot at.” That caller reported that seven shots were fired. Another person reported seeing the victim “with street medics,” according to the police dispatch log.
A tipster called in anonymously with a possible suspect, and another caller advised she was at a medic station with the victim but wouldn’t give her name. Another person indicated they had video footage of the shooting.
Another person called and said, “SPD should not try to come in here directly.” Another caller indicated that a possible suspect had a handgun on his hip. Medics were putting one victim in a van to take him to the hospital. Another caller reported that an injured male had been shot and was on top of a Highlander in front of a tavern. Another man saw a male running toward restrooms with a gun and also heard six possible gun shots and subjects running.
In a news release, Seattle police said that homicide detectives “are investigating following a fatal shooting that occurred early Saturday morning at 10th Avenue and East Pine Street. One man was declared deceased at the hospital and another male is being treated for life-threatening injuries.”
On June 20, at approximately 2:30 a.m., East Precinct officers “responded to a report of shots fired in Cal Anderson Park,” police wrote. “This is inside the area referred to as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented officers safe access to the victims. Officers were later informed that the victims, both males, had been transported to Harborview Medical Center by CHOP ‘medics.'”
Officers responded to Harborview and “were informed that one of the victims, a 19-year-old male, had died from injuries. The other victim, also a male, unknown age, remains in the hospital with life-threatening injuries,” wrote police, although they didn’t release the victims’ names.
They also did not give a motive.
“The suspect or suspect(s) fled and are still at large. There is no description at this time,” police wrote. “Homicide detectives responded and are conducting a thorough investigation, despite the challenges presented by the circumstances. Anyone with information about this shooting, or who may have video, is asked to contact the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crime tip line at (206) 233-5000. This remains an active and on-going homicide investigation. This post will be updated as additional information becomes available.”
Seattle Police Officers Guild President Michael Solan called it a summer of chaos, a play on Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan downplaying problems in the CHOP by calling it a “summer of love.”
“Early this morning, that violence was raw and real where one of our community members lost their life and police are still not allowed into that area and were prevented to providing that police service to the area to locate victors and/or render aid. [It’s] very troubling what’s going on,” Solan said, according to Fox News.
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