According to various reports, an auto-shop owner whose store just outside the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, known either as “CHAZ” or “CHOP,” called 911 multiple times on Sunday night after a protester allegedly got into the store, stole cash and lit a counter on fire, but police and the fire department never showed up, even though a mob broke down the fence guarding the store and demanded that the owner release the then-subdued suspect.
The owner of Car Tender, John McDermott, told KIRO 7 News that he received a call after the suspect shattered a window, then set fire to the front counter. McDermott said the suspect poured hand sanitizer on a cassette tape, yanked the film out, poured hand sanitizer on that, then lit everything on fire. He added that he and his son Mason put out the fire before Mason pursued the suspect.
“I chased him down and as soon as I came face to face, he came at me so I put him on the ground,” said Mason McDermott, adding that he pinned the suspect while his father dialed 911 a total of 19 times. Mason McDermott said the suspect sliced McDermott’s jeans with a box-cutter.
“Other protesters soon arrived — and video on social media shows the mob eventually knocking over a section of fencing, running in to confront the owners and angrily demand the return of the original suspect,” the New York Post reported.
John McDermott said he was “heartbroken” when they “finally said that they weren’t going to send somebody. I mean, they are the cavalry.” He said he released the suspect to avoid “mayhem beyond mayhem” while his son drew a gun for protection.
“I think the mayor and governor need to get their act together — because this is beyond a protest,” Mason asserted, adding, “Nobody showed up when literally our lives are on the line.”
According to The Seattle Times, Police Chief Carmen Best said officers responded — but “observed the location from a distance.”
“They did not see any signs of smoke or fire or anything else and they did not see a disturbance,” said Best. “The officers did not observe, from the report that I read, anything they perceived as a threat to life safety and they did not go in.”
Deedee Sun of KIRO asked the Seattle Police Department why they had not come to the site. In an emailed statement, the department responded: “Seattle Police did respond to the incident last night and documented the incident on a report. The case number is #2020-188030. Due to limited staffing, we are unable to provide you with a redacted copy of the narrative.”
Asked by Sun why the Fire Department did not respond, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins answered, “We’re still trying to figure that out. We have a little more follow-up to do. We did look at the area and there are no signs of fire inside the building but there was a small fire set. The owners did put the fire out.”
McDermott said no police officer showed up at the scene.
“Multiple others at the scene said they never saw SPD either,” KIRO reports.
A huge mob just attacked "Small Tender" business demanding a release of man who went into the business and started a fire, the business is located inside the 6 blocks of #CHAZ a 'no-cop zone'. Reporting on the ground in #Seattle pic.twitter.com/GeTRheQXFo
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) June 15, 2020
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