A federal judge blocked the Seattle city council from stripping crowd control tools such as pepper spray from its police force after the federal government said the policy could lead to more police use-of-force.
U.S. District Judge James Robart delivered the ruling late Friday, issuing a temporary stay against a measure the city council had approved unanimously last month, according to The Seattle Times. The judge said more discussion between the U.S. Department of Justice and city officials is warranted before the city council rule could take effect.
“I urge you all to use it as an occasion to try to find out where it is we are and where it is we’re going,” Robart said. “I can’t tell you today if blast balls are a good idea or a bad idea, but I know that sometime a long time ago I approved them.”
Robart’s ruling came as Seattle residents and police officers were well into preparing for new forms of policing under the rule, which still may be enacted at a later date. Robart described the injunction he put in place as “very temporary.” The judge has previously denied a similar application for an injunction against the rule filed by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. – READ MORE
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