Police Deploy Tear Gas and Stun Grenades to Disperse Seattle Protesters

Police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse demonstrators in downtown Seattle during protests against the death of George Floyd and police violence in the city on May 31, local news reported.

Seattle police were criticized for their response to peaceful protests. In a briefing on Monday, June 1, Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant said, “We have had hundreds, if not thousands of accounts from ordinary people of unacceptable conduct from the SPD," according to reports.

This video shows protesters dispersing as tear gas and stun grenades were deployed by advancing police officers on 4th Avenue. The person who uploaded it to Twitter wrote, “The #SeattlePolice and the National Guard used flashbangs, tear gas, and mace on the most militantly peaceful protesters I’ve ever seen.”

NBC News correspondent Jo Ling Kent was hit by a flash-bang grenade while she reported from Seattle on Monday. Credit: Keaton via Storyful