Seattle will move to dismantle 'CHOP' zone after shootings

• BREAKING NEWS
• 
  
  Seattle will move to end the police-free zone known as the "Capitol Hill Organized Protest," or "CHOP," after two recent shootings, one of which was deadly, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday.
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Update 7 mins ago

Seattle will move to dismantle 'CHOP' zone after shootings, mayor says

By Louis Casiano | Fox News

Andy Ngo on 'terrifying days' inside Seattle's cop-free zone

The Post Millennial editor-at-large Andy Ngo details his five days spent inside CHOP.


Seattle will move to end the police-free zone known as the "Capitol Hill Organized Protest," or "CHOP," after two recent shootings, one of which was deadly, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday.

The mayor said the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality.

Activists set up "CHOP" in the city's Capital Hill neighborhood about two weeks ago, barricading off the area after police evacuated a ransacked precinct building there.

"The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents," Durkan said at a news conference. "The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased."

City leaders have faced mounting criticism -- including from President Trump -- over the protest zone amid reports of violence within the area and how police can respond to such incidents. Police had not been able to go inside the area. The dismantling of the CHOP followed the death of a 19-year-old man in a Saturday shooting in which another person was injured.

On Sunday, a 17-year-old was shot in the arm on the edge of the area.

Demonstrators inside CHOP have been mostly peaceful, but a more charged atmosphere has become evident at night. Their demands have included calls to defund the police and for leaders to address other social-justice causes.

"There should be no place in Seattle that the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department can't go," Durkan said.

Trump frequently has lashed out at Durkan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, both Democrats, over CHOP's existence.

This is a developing story; check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Seattle will move to dismantle 'CHOP' zone after shootings, mayor says

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What a dangerous and disgraceful mess. Unraveling the mess may result in a more dangerous and even greater mess.

Mayor Durkan, Chief Best say Seattle police need to return to East Precinct

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BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF
JUNE 22, 2020 AT 5:54 PM

https://1y4yclbm79aqghpm1xoezrdw-wpe...22-620x370.jpgMayor Durkan on Monday, June 22. (Seattle Channel)

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says the Seattle Police Department needs to return to the East Precinct to be able to respond to calls from the community.

During a news conference Monday, the mayor said SPD will return to the precinct, peacefully and in the near future.

“We have to make sure that any resident, any business, or any visitor that calls for help gets the help they need,” Durkan said.

Seattle leaders, organizers mull changes in CHOP after weekend violence

Police Chief Carmen Best echoed that message Monday, saying that her officers need to get back to the East Precinct. Moving forward, Best is committed to community-led change.

“I want to look to tomorrow, to next week, and to next year,” Best said. “We all know that policing is never going to be the same as it was. … It can’t be. And it shouldn’t be.”

As for the CHOP, Durkan said it wouldn’t be wise for police officers to clear out the area. Instead, the city is working with community leaders and organizers to help reduce the number of people in the area and clean up the streets, buildings, and remove barriers.

Durkan recognized that the majority of people in the CHOP are peaceful and spreading an important message, but said the situation is very different at night.

The circumstances are also increasingly difficult for businesses and residents, she added.

The mayor believes individuals and organizations can continue to gather peacefully in Capitol Hill and elsewhere in the city, but the disorder and the impact of violence in Capitol Hill is at odds with the message of justice and equity.

“We cannot let acts of violence define this movement for change,” Durkan said.

While a return to the East Precinct is necessary in the short-term, both Durkan and Best spoke to the importance of community-led conversations and reform in the long-term.

“While the physical space is important, we are going to focus our greatest efforts on re-imagining policing itself,” Durkan said.

“We cannot move forward as a community, as a city, or as a police department unless all of us work together,” Best added.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

https://mynorthwest.com/1972401/mayo...east-precinct/

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'CHOP' CONFUSION

Seattle organizers urge 'comrades' to leave cop-free zone by nightfall