Police: 22 arrests in Labor Day clash outside Seattle Police Officers Guild

SEATTLE — KOMO News was the only major television station on hand when a large crowd of anti-police demonstrators clashed with officers on Monday night.

Police said they arrested 22 people during the initial confrontation and confiscated some unexploded Molotov cocktails.

About 300 people gathered on Labor Day at the Sound Transit light rail station in the International District and started marching to the police union building in SODO.

They were only outside the guild headquarters for a few minutes before the situation suddenly turned violent.

Seattle police said they tried to arrest several demonstrators but had rocks, bottles and explosives thrown at them. Police also released of photo of intact Molotov cocktails they said were dropped by rioters during the skirmish.

A body camera video released by police shows a Molotov cocktail being tossed in the street and catching fire as the group was being pushed back from the police guild building.

“We are in that building and we have to worry," said Jim Fuda, the director of law enforcement services for Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. "We know people have been followed home."

Fuda said recent restrictions on crowd control weapons leave officers with fewer options when confronting riots like the one that happened on Labor Day.

“What happens when that goes away is you have batons, fists and God forbid the firearms,” Fuda said.

Protesters told KOMO News they were demonstrating peacefully when officers moved in to clear them. However, no one was willing to go on camera.

On social media, the event was billed as an anti-police demonstration.

Aside from the 22 initial arrests, police took five more people into custody while trying to impound a vehicle later in the night.