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Seattle’s Office of Inspector General released an 81-page review slamming how the police handled the riots of 2020, focusing on its handling of the Capitol Hill Occupied Zone.
The report, released Tuesday by city inspector general Lisa Judge, focuses on 23 days in June, shortly after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, which set off protests and riots across the country.
Seattle’s summer of unrest was highlighted by an eight-block "cop-free" zone known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest or the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone that demonstrators established after police abandoned the East Precinct building in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The inspector general’s office found the occupation revealed a dysfunctional relationship between the city administration, led by then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, and the police department, led by then-Police Chief Carmen Best.
Smoke rises as police clash with protesters, Saturday, July 25, 2020, during a Black Lives Matter protest near the Seattle Police East Precinct headquarters in Seattle. A large group of protesters was marching Saturday in Seattle in support of Black Lives Matter and against police brutality and racial injustice. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The report also found police leaders misled the public, exaggerated dangers posed by rioters to justify leaving the precinct. The report determined police employed a racist ploy in an apparent attempt to frighten and intimidate Black Lives Matter protesters.
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The ploy involved fake radio chatter on public channels warning that an armed group of Proud Boys was gathering downtown and heading toward Capitol Hill. As a result, some protesters armed themselves and prepared for violence.
A worker sweeps the sidewalk as Seattle Police inspect the exterior of the department's East Precinct after police cleared the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest and retook precinct in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
"Lying to the community in this way was not only contrary to policy, but it was also a poorly considered tactic contributing to the tensions," the report said. "Many panelists viewed this incident as an example of the way structural and internalized racism can coalesce in police decision-making and cause harm to the community."
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The review charged that police, including the chief, made unsubstantiated or false claims that Capitol Hill leaders were extorting area business owners and that protesters were stopping citizens at armed checkpoints.
The report also raised concerns about the decisions by police and Seattle Fire Department medics to stand by at the protest zone perimeter after two fatal shootings, leaving treatment and transportation of the victims to volunteer medics and private vehicles while trained medical responders and ambulances were just blocks away.
The review called on the police department to "repair the public trust and safety compromised" during the weeks it reviewed in June.
The Seattle Police Department told Fox News Digital Thursday that "as always, the department values the community engagement and thoughtful analysis presented by the Office of the Inspector General."
"We also truly appreciate having a seat at the table where we can engage in thoughtful, honest dialogue to foster better understanding. We are carefully reviewing the report and will be responding to the recommendations shortly. Again, thank you to all who participated for the hard work," the statement added.
A protester holds a sign that reads "Abolish Police" during a "Silent March" against racial inequality and police brutality that was organized by Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County, Friday, June 12, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Seattle has been rocked by crime since that summer, when city leaders announced support for defunding the police.
In 2019, Seattle recorded 31 homicides. That number skyrocketed by 61% the following year to 50 homicides, the highest number recorded in 26 years. Homicides ticked down to 42 in 2021. While in August of this year, the city recorded its deadliest month in recent history, recording 11 homicides.
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Seattle’s data on homicides follows a national trend from 2020. FBI data show murders increased by nearly 30% in 2020, marking the largest single-year increase in killings since the agency began tracking the crimes. Experts who have previously spoken to Fox News Digital pointed to the defund movement, the pandemic and its lockdowns upsetting daily life in unprecedented ways, and the Ferguson effect for the rise in crimes in 2020.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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