Seattle committee recommends passage of bill setting limits on 'less lethal' crowd-control tools

The Seattle Public Safety Committee voted to recommend passage of Council Bill 120916 on Jan. 14, 2025, advancing an ordinance that would require the Seattle Police Department to adopt and maintain crowd-management policies restricting the use of ‘‘less lethal’’ crowd-control tools unless specific facts and circumstances indicate an imminent risk of physical injury or significant property damage.

The measure matters because it is tied to the city’s effort to exit a federal consent decree and to align local law with state rules on chemical agents. Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess told the committee the intent is to “harmonize city law and police department policies so that we could submit those policies to the department of justice for their review and then to Judge Robart for his consideration.”

Committee discussion and a full hour of public comment focused on the safety and accountability implications of allowing blast balls, rubber projectiles, OC/CS agents and similar tools. Dozens of residents and advocates urged the committee to keep or strengthen bans, citing injuries and a multimillion-dollar settlement from the 2020 demonstrations. Gabriel Jones, a public commenter, summarized that concern: “I need you to stand up with the people of the city, and I need you to vote no on less lethal options so we can keep our civilians alive.” Jonathan Toledo, who identified himself as a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said the earlier use of such tools “resulted in a $10,000,000 lawsuit paid for by our tax dollar money,” and described injuries including “fractures, blindness, and even heart attacks.”

The executive branch, the Community Police Commission (CPC) and other accountability offices testified in support of the mayor’s approach with qualifications. Deputy Mayor Burgess told the committee the ordinance “establishes the values and rules that govern the use of less lethal tools in crowd management situations,” and said it would in some respects be more restrictive than state law. Joel Merkel, co-chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission, said the…