“If force has to be used then force has to be used so long as it’s necessary and reasonable,” [use of force expert Jesus] Villahermosa said.
He said the recent violence and the continuing presence of CHOP mean negotiations between protesters and the city aren’t accomplishing much.
“I really believe at this point, the protesters have really forced the hand and we’re going to have to use force,” Villahermosa said.
But, according to Seattle Police Officer’s Guild president Mike Solan, the inability to use things like tear gas limits what can be done.
“The only option now is to use our physical bodies and our baton to hold people back,” Solan said.
Seattle City Council president Lorena Gonzalez said on Twitter that the shootings don’t reflect CHOP but gun violence as a whole.
“Portraying gun violence as an issue caused by the existence of CHOP distracts us from discussing the root causes of gun violence,” Gonzalez tweeted.
Gonzalez went on to say in her Twitter thread that she disagrees with the idea of using these shootings as a justification to have Seattle Police move back into the east precinct.
– Nick Popham in Force might be necessary to take back East Precinct from protesters, expert says