Seattle police are investigating two shocking videos that show officers ramming their bikes into pedestrians and wrestling protesters before arresting them for assault at a MAGA march earlier this month.
Two videos emerged on Twitter from a pro-Trump ‘Mega MAGA’ march held on December 7 that appear to show the officers assaulting people and arresting them, shedding light on the tense relationship cops have with activists in the state.
In Washington and other states in the Pacific Northwest there’s been a rise in far-right group rallies and clashes with protesters.
Seattle police are investigating viral videos showing officers ramming their bikes into anti Trump protesters at a Mega MAGA march on December 7
One clip shared on Twitter shows an officer ram his bike into the back of a pedestrian wearing a red backpack seemingly intentionally
After ramming into the man with the backpack, three other cops then aggressively throw him on the wall and arrest him
‘I saw nothing at all that the man did to justify the arrest,’ Jerry Savage, who filmed that arrest, said. He said the man with the backpack was present at the protests
The video went viral with the caption: ‘Even for Seattle Police Department, yesterday was a vicious escalation’
The December 7 rally drew small crowds from far-right groups like the ‘three-percent’ militias and the groups like the Proud Boys, according to Twitter user @JamesonJaymie, who is a citizen journalist who was at the scene.
The rally also drew counter-protesters such as anti-fascists wearing all black and a ‘sparkle orchestra’, a group of people armed with trumpets and kitchen utensils who tried to down out the pro-Trump crowd with their own noise.
According to the videos and people at the scene, the Seattle police officers were tackling people who protesting the far-right groups and the pro-Trump MAGA rally.
‘The Mega MAGA March in Seattle today was a MAJOR S**T SHOW. Approximately 20 far-right instigators comprised of 3%ers, Proud Boys and some fascist riff raff were protected by Seattle Police who brutalized protesters,’ Jameson tweeted.
One video shows a pack of officers on bikes ride on a sidewalk packed with pedestrians. One officer leading the pack rams into a group of people including a man with a backpack, seemingly intentionally, as the pedestrians couldn’t see the officers approach from behind.
An officer then grabs a man who was hit by the officer by his backpack and flings him on a wall and arrests him. Three officers pin the man on the wall and place him in handcuffs as bystanders scream and shout with outrage.
This Twitter user shared video showing a Seattle Police officer trip on himself then charge towards a protester standing several feet way and tackle them to the ground
In the disturbing footage the officer circled in red trips on himself then attacks a protester
The officer tripped on his own feet and stumbled on the ground
Then he ran towards a protester to bring them to the ground
‘I saw nothing at all that the man did to justify the arrest,’ Jerry Savage, who filmed that arrest, said. He said the man with the backpack was present at the protests.
Another video a pack of police officers, many on bikes or armed with batons, walking into a plaza where there are MAGA march protesters.
The officers bellow ‘Move, Move!’ and aggressive push their bikes in front of the protesters. One officer appears to trip on his own bike then charges towards a protester standing about 10 feet away from him and wrestles them to the ground, even though that protester was obeying the officer’s orders and moving backwards.
‘The Proud Boys were allowed free rein of downtown and anywhere they tried to go police violently cleared the way. Un-housed bystanders and protesters both got caught up in their tactics,’ Jameson, who filmed both incidents, said to the Daily Beast, noting the incidents took place within 10 minutes of each other.
Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability announced they are reviewing the incident.
‘We are aware of community concerns regarding arrests during a demonstration,’ the office said to the Daily Beast in a statement.
‘I sent this matter to the Office of Police Accountability, and I look forward to the conclusion of their investigation. As always, we remain committed to constitutional policing, supporting First Amendment rights for all,’ the statement added.