SEATTLE — Dozens of Seattle police officers were injured during another lawless weekend in the city as rioters again devolved into destruction and attacks on law enforcement.
Police bodycam footage shared Sunday shows a supercut of protesters throwing rocks, bottles, wood and explosives at officers during Saturday’s protests in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, FOX reported.
Overall, there were 59 officers who were injured. The injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to burns. One officer was treated at a hospital for a torn meniscus. Photos showed several officers’ fleshy wounds.
Rioters also set fire to a portable trailer and threw an explosive device at the police department’s East District precinct, leaving an 8-inch hole in the side of the building, police said.
Police declared a riot and deployed sponge rounds, OC spray, and blast balls to disperse protesters. At least 47 people were arrested for assaults on officers, obstruction, and failure to disperse.
Polce said an officer, left, suffered a wound to his leg from an explosive device, while another, right, sustained a burn. (Seattle Police Department)
However, rioters accused police of excessive force on social media, posting images of wounds they say were caused by police munitions, the Seattle Times reported. However, defensive force should be expected when rioters/combatants initiate violence against law enforcement authorities. Consequently, injuries are the likely outcome.
The fear of large-scale protests at the start of the weekend had led businesses to board up windows over concerns their property may be targeted by rioters after vandals damaged property earlier last week, KOMO News reported.
In the Sunday morning aftermath, many businesses were left to once again clean up debris from broken windows, vandalized buildings and looted stores, Q13 FOX reported. A Starbucks was targeted by several rioters who smashed windows, looted, and spray-painted profanity on the exterior walls.
Other businesses continued to board up ahead of more potential destruction this week, according to the station.
