SEATTLE—On Monday, July 17, the Seattle Police Department announced that six officers were injured during Sunday’s night protest which was declared a riot.
According to a report from the SPD, rocks, bottles and explosives were thrown towards officers during the anti-police union protest. They said that after 10:00 p.m. someone in the crowd attempted to break a police car window with one of the explosions. In an updated body cam and open source video from the protest that was released by the SPD, it can be seen that officers were trying to get away from the fireworks that they were struck by.
The police also released pictures of some of the wounds that resulted from the explosives that were thrown at them. One of the officers had an eye injury and had to be hospitalized. He has since been released but is still off-duty. Another officer had a burn in the neck.
The incident commander declared a riot after he tried to disperse the crowd during the protest. At least 18 individuals who were part of the riot were arrested and booked to King County Jail.
King 5 interviewed officer Adam Fowler who had to be hospitalized because his face was hit with an explosive. He described the feeling as a hammer hitting him. He said he lost his visions for more than 30 seconds and was worried that he would lose his left eye.
“As soon as they encountered us, it got pretty scary because they started launching and throwing fireworks at us,” Fowler told King 5. “There aren’t tiny fireworks, they’re firecrackers, commercial-grade mortars… they should be launched hundreds of feet in the air in a safe place to be detonated, put on a fireworks display. They’re not meant for weapons.”
