The Seattle Police Department is working to forge negotiations with the leaders of a self-declared autonomous zone that includes a now-closed police precinct, as police say they receive reports of armed guards and potential extortion in the region.
“We’ve heard, anecdotally, reports of citizens and businesses being asked to pay a fee to operate within this area. This is the crime of extortion. If anyone has been subjected to this, we need them to call 911,” Assistant Chief of Police Deanna Nollette said on Wednesday.
The region encompasses the SPD's East Precinct, which was abandoned by cops on Monday following days of violent clashes between law enforcement and protesters in the wake of George Floyd's death, as well as parts of Capitol Hill. "It’s like checking in with somebody to get into your own home,” Diamond told the news outlet. “Just making it so people can get into their buildings. Keep the zone however they want, and move the fencing so people can go home."
The police department is looking to start negotiations with the leaders of the protest movement to gain access to the police precinct but are unsure of who is leading the demonstrations. One resident in the area told police that there were "tents lining my streets, barricades littered throughout the intersection by protestors, and civilians walking around with AR15s," an official told Fox News. "And the noise has not stopped."
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