Seattle Police Will Return To Precinct In Protest Zone, Mayor Says
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says police will return to their East Precinct building, after a weekend in which three people were shot in the occupied zone known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP.
"In the near future, SPD will be peacefully returning to the East Precinct," Durkan said via Twitter, as she and Police Chief Carmen Best announced plans to take back control of the area formerly known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.
Seattle police need to work from the precinct to "ensure public safety" and respond to emergency calls, Durkan said.
Over the weekend, police and emergency workers who responded to calls of shootings were forced to stay on the fringes of the protest zone, which is outlined by street barricades.
As the mayor and police prepare to return to the precinct, there are signs that activists are working to continue their collective efforts, no matter the protest area's fate.
