Seattle, WA

Former Seattle police chief admits deleting texts in wake of 2020 Capitol Hill protest

Published

3 years ago

June 9, 2022

Former Seattle police chief admits deleting texts in wake of 2020 Capitol Hill protest

Two years in the past, the Seattle Police Division deserted the Capitol Hill East Precinct, resulting in the creation of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). On the time, former Police Chief Carmen Finest distanced herself from that call.

Whether or not Finest accredited the transfer stays an open query that’s tough to reply as a result of lacking textual content messages. In a deposition obtained by Axios, Finest mentioned she deleted texts she despatched in the course of the 2020 protests.

Two years in the past, in June 2020, protestors responding to the homicide of George Floyd took to the streets throughout the US — pushing for an finish to police brutality and violence in opposition to Black folks.

That included right here in Seattle, the place demonstrators marched on freeways and gathered on Capitol Hill.

On June 8, 2020, Seattle Police made a pivotal transfer: They deserted the division’s East Precinct on Capitol Hill, creating house for the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or CHOP, to coalesce. In a taped message meant for law enforcement officials, then-Police Chief Carmen Finest distanced herself from that call.

Within the weeks following, two folks had been shot and killed contained in the CHOP and several other extra had been injured. Mayor Durkan finally ordered the realm cleared on the finish of June.

Former Chief Finest maintains that she didn’t approve leaving the East Precinct.

But it surely’s laborious to know for certain, as a result of textual content messages despatched by the previous police chief in the course of the 2020 protests are lacking. In a brand new deposition obtained by Axios Seattle Reporter Lewis Kamb, Finest mentioned she deleted these lacking texts herself.

“She acknowledged that she was deleting her textual content messages in bulk from the summer season of 2020 mainly — over a interval of late Might to when she left the division in early September,” Kamb mentioned.

Finest mentioned she had decided the messages had been “transitory” — in different phrases, they did not include any important data that will require her below state legislation to save lots of the messages.

However Kamb notes that, when she was deleting messages, the town was already going through a number of lawsuits and public information requests in regards to the protests.

“And each of these would have triggered, mainly, necessities to maintain no matter current textual content messages she had, even when they had been transitory,” Kamb mentioned.

Finest is not the one metropolis official accused of deleting textual content messages — former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan additionally had lacking texts, which had been routinely deleted from her cellphone as a result of its settings.

1000’s of textual content messages are lacking and Kamb tells Soundside that we could by no means have a full view of what occurred throughout Seattle’s Black Lives Matter protests in consequence.

“That form of data, behind-the-scenes communications of what was occurring between two very key people, the mayor and the police chief, are gone to historical past. We do not know the place they’re. Now we do not know what really occurred behind the scenes. These information had been purported to be saved. They had been purported to be archived and obtainable for the general public in perpetuity.”

Finest may face repercussions for the deleted texts — it’s unlawful below state legislation. However as of now, nobody is urgent for an investigation. As an alternative, Kamb notes there’s loads of finger pointing amongst Seattle’s new administration about who’s accountable for conducting that investigation.

To date, nobody has stepped ahead to take action.

Correction: Within the interview Lewis Kamb refers to Summer time Taylor utilizing she/her pronouns. Summer time used they/them pronouns.

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

4 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz

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