Following Minneapolis Police Department’s Lead, Seattle Police Abandon East Precinct 

Seattle police officers have abandoned their East Precinct building as riots continue throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Video footage of the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct shows that the building, surrounded by masked protestors, is boarded up. No police officers are present in the video. The New York Times reports that the precinct has been the center of demonstrations in Seattle, and that police officers have abandoned the building.

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The move comes after the Minneapolis Police Department abandoned the 3rd Police Precinct to rioters May 28. Rioters proceeded to set the precinct on fire.

“Shortly after 10:00 pm tonight, in the interest of the safety of our personnel, the Minneapolis Police Department evacuated the 3rd Precinct of its staff,” the Minneapolis police confirmed in a May 28 statement. “Protesters forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires. No further information is available.”

Police abandoning the precincts comes as riots and protests continue throughout Oregon and Washington, prompting changes within both police departments and political leadership. At least two city council members in Seattle have asked Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin to resign, the Times reports.

Protestors in Portland, Oregon shut down Interstate 84 on Monday and other Seattle protestors moved barricades to make a protected space in the Seattle Capitol Hill neighborhood, according to the Times.

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Portland Police Chief Jami Resch said Monday that she will be stepping down from her position and has asked black lieutenant Chuck Lovell to replace her.

“I have asked Chuck Lovell to step into the role as chief of the Police Bureau,” she said at a Monday news conference, according to Oregon Live. “He’s the exact right person at the exact right moment.”

“I’ve asked our community time and time again, what do we need to do,” Resch said. “The Portland Police Bureau has made change … but in the words of Mr. Hopson, those are changes but they are not the change. What the Portland Police Bureau has not done is stand up and say, ‘We will be the change.’” ‘