Former Seattle mayor, officials, considered handing over police precinct to BLM during 2020 riots

The administration for the Democratic mayor of Seattle during the destructive, summer 2020 social justice demonstrations reportedly drafted legislation to give control of a city police precinct to the Black Lives Matter group. 

The director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services sent several documents to then-Mayor Jenny Durkan on the matter, according to a report by The Seattle Times.

The city's police department was able to regained control of the its East Precinct on July 1 of that year, instead of transfering control to the group, which helped lead such protests in cities across the country, following the May 2020 death of George Floyd, a black male, while in Minneapolis police custody.

A Durkan spokesperson told the newspaper the transfer proposal was dropped in preliminary stages because it was "neither feasible nor in the best interest of public safety."

According to the newspaper's investigative story, the police didn't know about the plan to cede control of the precinct to the Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County organization.

"We were not aware of any plans on the city’s part to permanently leave the precinct, or any plans to share the space with the community," said department spokesperson Sgt. Randy Huserik. 

Despite apparent efforts to downplay the plan and Durkan's involvement in the Finance and Administrative Services' memos, a spokesperson for the current mayor administration suggested Durkan's office that led the effort.

"The Durkan administration directed FAS – in its capacity as the city's real estate and facility management agency – to outline the process to transfer the East Precinct to BLMSKC," said spokesperson Melissa Mixon.