Rioters in Seattle on Saturday set fire to a construction site for a King County juvenile detention facility and courthouse. They later hurled explosives and other projectiles at police officers.
A group of approximately a dozen people was responsible for the fire, according to the Seattle Police Department. Firefighters responded and put the flames out.
The group then headed north, smashing windows at businesses as they traveled along 12th Avenue.
Once back in Capitol Hill, rioters spray painted the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct and attempted to disable cameras and damage fencing that was erected around the building to try to protect it. Officers also noticed smoke in the building lobby, indicating someone set fire to the precinct, and found possible explosive damage to walls inside. Arson and bomb detectives were investigating.
Due to the ongoing damage and public safety risks, police declared a riot around 5 p.m. and began using crowd control measures like blast balls and OC spray—but not tear gas—to try to disperse the crowd.
Rioters refused to disperse and continued smashing windows and damaging buildings in the area. They also hurled rocks, mortars, explosives, and other projectiles, according to the police and video footage from the scene.
Forty-five people were arrested for assaulting officers, obstruction, and failure to disperse, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Twenty-one officers were injured during the mayhem, including one who was rushed to the hospital with a leg injury caused by an explosive.
The Seattle demonstration, which turned into a riot, was organized in support of people in Portland, who have rioted on a nightly basis since late May.