Tapes reveal police at WTO were both wary and weary
Newly released tapes of Seattle Police Department radio communications during the World Trade Organization protests reveal weary officers on edge because of concerns about guerrilla-type attacks.
"We just got information from (intelligence) that says there are 12 ninjas - as in people - dressed up in black at Broadway and Olive, and it looks like they are trying to ambush some officers," said one call.
As the City Council begins an investigation as to why the protests in the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 4 erupted in violence and whether police used excessive force, the hours of taped conversations show what was largely apparent on the streets of downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill: Police were at times overwhelmed, exhausted and fearful that the crowds of protesters were turning increasingly violent.
Despite the chaos, many officers maintained poise.
The tapes were obtained by The Seattle Times and other news organizations through the Freedom of Information Act.
It was clear almost as soon as the protests began Nov. 30, the opening day of the WTO, that the initial force of 400 officers was seriously outnumbered.
"We're losing it at Sixth and Pike. We're losing it just south of Sixth and Pike," another call crackled over the police lines.
"Shoot as much gas as you want in there now," came the response from Capt. Jim Pugel, who commanded the force in the streets during the WTO. "If we are being overcome at Sixth and Pike, I want you to drench them."
Squad leaders repeatedly called for backup as they struggled to hold their lines against some 45,000 protesters. One leader reported early in the day: "We're surrounded, we're out of tear gas, and we're withdrawing."
There were reports over the radio of delegates being pushed in the streets and of bank and store employees diving under their desks or fleeing into alleys as black-clad protesters smashed windows and streamed in.
During the second day of the WTO clashes, police feared that protesters driven to Capitol Hill threatened the East Precinct station.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pugel recalled "how terrifying it was for the men and women out there. No officer ever says help unless they're about to be overrun or are in fear for their life."
Defending the use of tear gas and other crowd-dispersal methods, Pugel said he had too few officers to make mass arrests. He said police did not use excessive force.
On the second night of WTO clashes, police drove protesters from downtown onto Capitol Hill. But their show of force in protecting the East Precinct may have inadvertently goaded a crowd.
Throughout that night, tensions between police and protesters alternately eased and escalated. But the concerns of officers peaked after 9 p.m., as crowds were pushed toward the precinct and later surrounded nearby gas stations.
By about 10:45 p.m., dispatchers were asked to issue warnings:
"Would you make an officer-safety announcement both on this channel and the East Precinct channel that there (are) still hostile crowds toward police at Pine and Broadway? Officers should avoid that area and (so should) anything that resembles a police vehicle."
Before the evening was over, the National Guard and a host of area police forces, including those from Bellevue, Tukwila and King County, were called to help out on Capitol Hill.