After Seattle Riot, Armed Citizens Guard Small Town as Antis’ Exploit Try Fails

After downtown Seattle erupted in violence, armed citizens in suburban small towns guarded their local businesses. (Screen snip, YouTube, KING News)

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- When residents of Snohomish, Wash., reportedly heard rumors that the violence which erupted in Seattle over the weekend might spill into their community, several took up arms and gathered on the small town’s main street to guard local businesses from vandals, the Seattle Times reported.

Carrying sidearms and semi-auto rifles, they reportedly kept an eye on passing vehicles along First Street, underscoring a Facebook message (from Firearms Unknown in Riverside, CA) posted by Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizen’s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms: “The answer to the question ‘why do you need an AR-15 and 30 round magazines?’ is on every news channel today.”

Posted by Alan M Gottlieb on Sunday, 31 May 2020

 

Likewise, at Pistol Annie’s pawn shop in Bonney Lake, south of Seattle, several armed citizens showed up to protect the store from the threat of looting, according to KIRO radio. Owner Melissa Denny, posted the following message on social media:

“UPDATE: I don’t know what’s worse, going through this or knowing my son is sitting at home worrying about me going through this. We are safe and the store is untouched. We’ve watched vehicle after vehicle go by with limo tint windows and many, many of the same ones over and over. I feel confident that the team of men and women who stood vigilant and will remain to do so as long as it’s necessary kept us safe tonight. I am beyond humbled and grateful for them all. There aren’t enough words. There aren’t enough thank you’s. Fighting for our 2A is certainly going to mean even more after this. Anyone who can come help stand with us would really help as it’s going to be a long few days. We desperately need a shift change.”

At the other end of the spectrum, however, a wealthy Seattle gun prohibitionist’s attempt at sarcasm as the riot ensued in his city’s downtown area perhaps epitomized the anti-gun mindset to exploit every tragic event to further the gun control agenda.

But in his effort to attack gun owners, venture capitalist Nick Hanauer essentially put his foot in mouth.

Reacting to an incident involving a demonstrator who was caught briefly on camera with an AR-15 rifle next to a vandalized Seattle Police cruiser before he was disarmed at gunpoint, Hanauer tweeted: “Just another upstanding citizen exercising his god-given right to open carry an AR15. What is the problem?”

His comment was in response to an earlier tweet from someone named Naveed Jamali, who posted an 18-second video clip of the incident that originally appeared live on KOMO News.

A KOMO camera focused on the incident from several yards away as the masked demonstrator, appearing to fumble with the rifle, was rushed by a bearded man who grabbed the gun, motioned the demonstrator away, and then cleared the weapon of its visibly loaded magazine. The armed citizen turned out to be a private security guard hired by KCPQ News, and the AR rifle had been taken from the patrol vehicle before the camera started filming.

The dramatic disarm — many viewers and even a KOMO anchor called it heroic — probably prevented someone from being injured.

Hanauer is a founder and one of the primary financial supporters of the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the group behind a series of Evergreen State gun control initiatives that have affected law-abiding gun owners without visibly reducing violent crime in the state. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports for 2015-2018, the first year following passage of Initiative 594, a “universal background check” measure, there were 209 murders in Washington, including 141 involving firearms. The next year, that dropped to 195 slayings, including 127 with guns. In 2017, the state reported 228 homicides, including 134 involving firearms, and in 2018, there were 232 murders, of which 138 were committed with firearms.

Hanauer’s gratuitous tweet brought immediate and unflattering reactions.

One man responded, “Jesus Christ this has to be the worst take I’ve seen all night.”

Another declared, “You ID10T, he STOLE it out of the patrol vehicle he probably helped vandalize and had it taken from him by a member of a security detail. Remind me what restaurants you run, so I know which ones to avoid!”

A third man observed, “This security guard was the hero, and you are the absolute zero. Thanks for coming out.”

And KTTH Radio’s Jason Rantz replied to Hanauer’s tweet: “You really are an imbecile.”

According to KCPQ reporter Brandi Kruse, who tweeted the morning after, “Our guard is former special forces. He is not a police officer. He acted on his own, after getting our crew to safety around a building.”

“We watched the first AR-15 be pulled from a cruiser, then ran along with many others as the protester fired it into the cruiser.”

The security guard apparently seized both police weapons from protesters and they were returned to Seattle police. There have been questions about why police left loaded patrol rifles in their vehicles.

Hanauer’s tweet was not the only head-scratcher in the aftermath of Seattle’s destructive riot. Liberal Democrat Mayor Jenny Durkan signed a Civil Emergency Order “establishing prohibited items.”

The order created a zone in downtown Seattle and declared, “Within this zone, all persons are prohibited from possessing, transporting, purchasing, furnishing or selling any weapon, including, but not limited to: rocks, bottles, pipes, bats, clubs, chains, sharpened signs, shields, gas, road flares, torches, paint balls, light bulbs, any incendiary devices, pry-bars, skateboards, balloons filled with liquid, dimensional lumber with a dimension greater than ½ inch, or any other objects which can be used for infliction of bodily harm or damage to property.”

Police are authorized to confiscate any weapon on the list, or “any other implement reasonably perceived or believed to be capable of being used as a weapon found” within the boundaries set forth in the proclamation.

Noticeable by their absence on the list are firearms. Seattle is located in King County, and at last report from the state Department of Licensing, there were more than 100,000 active concealed pistol licenses in that county, roughly one-fifth of all the CPLs in Washington state.

Yet, during a press conference, Mayor Durkan did mention firearms.

Seattle, like other major cities, suffered widespread vandalism and looting in reaction to the death of George Floyd after being held to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer after being handcuffed. The officer, who was subsequently fired along with three others, placed his knee on Lloyd’s neck for some eight minutes, even after Lloyd, a black man, said he couldn’t breathe. That former cop has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to published reports.

Commenting on the riot—what else could it be called as vehicles burned and stores were trashed and looted—veteran KIRO radio broadcaster Dori Monson declared the violence was “a stunning failure of political leadership.”

He noted that in many cities, people tried to gather peacefully to protest Floyd’s death.

“But for days, in city after city,” Monson wrote at MyNorthwest.com, “we saw those peaceful protests get hijacked by rioting and looting that had zero to do with George Floyd — in fact, all the rioting did was dishonor Floyd’s memory.

 


About Dave WorkmanDave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

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Don

The Couer d’Alene Press (North Idaho) reported that HUNDREDS of armed citizens showed up to protect the city. Several carloads of black-clad people drove by the patriots yelling obscenities – but kept on driving. Unlike Spokane 35 miles to the west, CDA did not have riots.

Wild Bill

@Dubi, Bravo CDA militia!

Hankus

We love Idaho!

GUNFUN

Couer d’Alene is the best. I testify.

MICHAEL J

I believe that the local folks aren’t burning down resources they depend on. Modern day patriots have every right to protect their communities and augment law enforcement if and when needed.

Finnky

@Mike – Be extremely careful doing that. Even if on scene LEO are on board, newly arriving LEO are likely to shoot you for having temerity to bear arms in their presence.

MICHAEL J

I agree, coordination between police is critical.
Since cops can’t be everywhere, just taking a stand is dangerous when dealing with organized thugs, just hoping they’re not cops.

Finnky

@Mike – Life is dangerous. Can lie down and hide like prey animals, accepting those risks – or make a stand and risk losing fight with animals who want to be dominant. I don’t want to dominate anyone, but better to risk such a fight than to bow to anyone.

Superman

Then why don’t YOU become a police officer and show us all how it SHOULD be done? Put up or shut up.

Finnky

@SM – Not sure who you are responding to. If you were addressing me – I looked into becoming an auxiliary deputy with my county. That is a part-time volunteer position, and those individuals are typically not first choice for highest risk operations. Was willing to put in the time and pay monetary costs – police academy on my nickel, uniforms, equipment, etc. Physical requirements are quite low, so even though I live a sedentary life and haven’t regularly worked out for over a decade I could pass all requirements except for uncorrected vision. I think that requirement is driven… Read more »

Superman

I guess you are too simpleminded to understand the shut up part. ‘Looked into’; blah, blah, blah.

Pitchfork peasant

Because of local govt mandates. Seattle is the worst I’ve seen when it comes to officer discretion. Do what you’re told or else. And ignorant dems dont get police are run by the politicians they elect

Superman

You have zero clue what you are talking about.

Don

The media reports that patriots are showing up to defend their towns from ANTIFA thugs and are packing Confederate flags. In the videos I’ve seen, no Confederate flags have appeared. “Don’t Tread On Me” flags have and the ignorant media thinks those are Confederate flags. They need a history lesson. Seattle’s ignorant mayor wants to disarm the entire downtown area, so she is denying the right to keep and bear ARMS. It is not just guns, but any weapon that is protected by the 2A.

Terry

Great idea Will. If it pisses off snowflakes it’s gotta be good!

ras52

Will, right on brother, the South is gonna rattle again!

Superman

You mean death rattle like last time?

Wild Bill

@wjd, Hmmm, that gives me an idea. The Army of Northern Virginia flag could be antifa bait. Does anyone make a antifa call?

Superman

In the case of the stars and bars, proud to be a loser moron?

Circle8

The problem with Seattle is the morons that moved there from CALIFORNIA. They brought their idiotic ideas with them and as a result the city/county has turned into San Fran north. It is no longer an area worth visiting or living in. The liberal corruption has taken over and nothing should be trusted anymore.

Oldman

The mayor, every day around 1700, holds a televised news conference and everyday tries sucking up to the protesters and begging their forgiveness for all the sins of humanity against blacks. The Governor is going down this next election, if there is one, because of his ineptness, stand on firearms, and ultimately a communist sympathizer. I have lived in WA since 1957, and it started going downhill, fast, by the middle eighties, except of course, the counties away from the I-5 corridor.

Superman

No, the Snake is NOT going down this next election. ‘I can see all of the votes I need from the top of the Space Needle’ – former U.S. Senator Henry ‘Scoop’ Jackson. But thanks for playing. P.S. I have lived in WA state since 1962.

Sandbagger

The police should be Coordinating and training with local militia always .this way they can call on these groups when times like these and groups like Antifa come out of the woodwork. Supply militia with specific arm bands so they know who is who. Allow the militia to protect the outlying counties with group leaders from sheriff’s departments.

Wild Bill

@Sand, Funny … ten days ago, we were all contemplating armed resistance against the police that would enforce confiscation of firearms statutes and orders,

Wild Bill

@OV, The first crop of hay is in. So I am available. My neighbor and I have a vehicle packed with our personal weapons, ammunition, comms, and MREs. Waiting for the call. Hmmmm, just like the old days! If we can just get the little shit heads to take the next step.

Wild Bill

@OV, Yep, fine Costal Bermuda.

Wild Bill

@OV, So did you bale on Memorial Day?

JIAZ

I’ve no doubt the very same leftist powers-that-be who ordered their police to surrender the streets to mobs of violent thugs would gleefully in a heartbeat order those same police to enforce confiscation of firearms from the law abiding citizenry. The same anti-2A, leftist mayors and governors who refused to use the national guard to stop these riots immediately won’t hesitate during a future time of chaos to call upon the national guard to enforce their ideology driven agenda of firearms confiscation. Rodney King, Katrina, George Floyd, as well as other events have proven that when society suffers any type… Read more »

JIAZ

@OV
I hear you and agree, but during a society meltdown, “without rule of law”, I believe most will “follow orders”. I pray I’m very wrong.

Finnky

@WB – May yet come to pass. Seeing heavy hand used to crush protestors rather than rioters – looks to me like it’s coming faster than we thought.

Much as I support @Sand’s idea, do not like idea of police knowing who has arms and/or training. Not sure how anyone would hide it in today’s surveillance state though. Particularly hard if for groups with internal coordination – yet without coordination resistance would be considerably harder.

Wild Bill

@Finnky, I have followed closely and not seen any heavy handedness toward protester or rioter or looter. “Peaceful protesters” turn in looters in a millisecond. Professional thieves are disguised as protesters. Anarchists that want to pull the government down and become the rulers.
The question is how do we get them to take it to the next level … real armed insurrection so that we can kill them all?

Finnky

@WB – Agree that having looters and rioters identify themselves would be nice. Unfortunately one of the difficulties in fulfilling duties of honest, moral and effective policing is identification of wrong doers and separating them from those who are not. Does it bother you when the left tries to get cops to go after all fun owners for the wrongs done by a few? People in Lafayette park were ostensibly assembled to petition their government fro regress of wrongs. Seems like there are some laws about that – like the first amendment. I have considerable difficulty believing anyone who tramples… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Fin, I presume that you mean gun owners. Again you are mixing normal circumstances with an ongoing riot situation. Separate your apples from your oranges.

Finnky

@wjd – I’ve always observed that the strongest, most self assured men are also the most gentle. Weak-insecure men are sometimes dangerous due to their constant need to prove themselves. A mature adult does not beat a child and does not shoot their neighbor because of a teenager playing loud music. Use your words, respect others, and deal like an adult. Apply force only where necessary and justified – like stopping looters. Most of these issues could have been prevented by having LESS governmental intervention – less gun control so property owners could protect themselves and less CV-19 lockdown so… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Finnky, You are mixing your concept of what men are supposed to be with the occupation of policing. Think straight.

Ansel Hazen

Maybe the local militia decides which LE be worth training with. I would train with the county boys but we have a local burg and they march to a different drummer.

Vern

The legacy the left is giving George Floyd isn’t a very pretty one, but, any ‘legacy’ the left creates in todays world is just plain ugly, doesn’t matter what race the dead person is.

Wild Bill

@Vern, Sadly, the fate of George Floyd is no longer the take away from these riots.

Vern

He has served his purpose now the left will throw him into their trash heap and he will become another one of their dead voters. Everyone the left trashes always has a use even when they are dead.
I read on another site where the cop who killed him was a real dirty cop and Floyd and him was suspected in being in the counter fit business together. probably not true but does raise the thought about one shutting the other up for some reason.

Vern

If the media, the lefty politicians and the communists have any say in it, his action will get no attention. After all, those are the only voice the left has anymore, it is too bad those who vote left don’t care enough about the truth to search it out. Many of the blacks in this part of the woods aren’t on board with what is going on in the “d” party.

SweetOlBob

I don’t think the riots had to dishonor anyone’s memory. Anyone’s police record should have done that !
Another instance where a thug is elevated to sainthood by dying. Granted, the circumstances call for some investigation. But that doesn’t make a saint out of a thug.
One more time, credit your intrepid Manure Stream Media with publishing the “whole story”. (HAH !)
Maybe if obama*had two sons, one would have been just as big as George, huh ?
*Lower Case Intentional (because there isn’t anything lower)

Pitchfork peasant

And results wont be reported by the devisive propagandized msm

Gene Ralno

Once again, kudos to Workman. I heard about this when a woman called the Rush Limbaugh radio program today. Did anyone mention here that the population of Snohomish is 9,000? She was grateful for the armed citizen protection but wondered what the rioters hoped to gain from such a small town. I too wonder.

JIAZ

“She was grateful for the armed citizen protection but wondered what the rioters hoped to gain from such a small town. I too wonder.”

Violence for the sake of violence isn’t about “gain” in the monetary sense. It’s about power, exerting dominance over those who can’t or won’t defend themselves. It’s about assault, destruction of property, and much worse. Most of all it’s about terror. Inflicting terror upon the defenseless is their “high”.

Finnky

@JIAZ – Looting one small town would not directly yield much, however terrorism does not seek direct military victory. There are many across the country who live in small town or even large peaceful cities (like myself) who do not currently feel directly threatened by riots. We see it as self destruction of places we already don5 care for. Attacking a small peaceful town last Snohomish would make this personal for many more Americans. Imagine most of antifa expect small towns to have weak, poorly trained (hick) law enforcement – little did they realize large fraction of population is informal… Read more »

SEMPAI

It seems Antifa ( middle class white kids with an agenda ) a.k.a. Skinheads in the eighties are well armed and backed by soros these days are really leading when I watch the rioters on the news, they are coordinating groups to go this way and that way but yet I don’t see many of them actually looting or walking around with stolen items but opening the door for all the others to burn their own neighborhoods and loss of jobs and income, What are they really up to? I don’t believe this is hurting trump in any way actually… Read more »

Wild Bill

@SEMPAI, Only the FBI could not catch antifa.

SEMPAI

@Wild Bill
10 -4

Hankus

Brandi Kruse, ultra-liberal commentator at Q13Fox news, admitting that they hired an armed guard for security. Of course that station takes every opportunity to trash guns and gun owners. And of course President Trump.

They are NOT a news source, all they care about is shoving gay in your face. No matter what is happening around the world they always trot out Travis, giving him several minutes to discuss some stupid, irrelevant story with his lisping Mickey Mouse voice. Now they are trying to work him into an anchor spot. Ugh.

Q13Fox suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

MS-Steve

“shoving gay in your face”………. Ouuuuuuuuuuuu ! THAT’S NASTY.

Hankus

It’s a Seattle thing.

PMinFl

Hankus, sorry it’s not a Seattle thing it’s a millennial thing and one designed to attract millennial viewers and sponsors. MONEY TALKS

Hankus

Sorry Dave, that’s just my assessment after listening to her take on things for a couple of years.

Superman

Than what is she? Drop the other shoe, Dave. Don’t leave us hanging.

RoyD

Well Hankus, in reference to the, “Q13Fox suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.”, they say you should do what you are good at and they are merely following that piece of advice.

Sandbagger

Have the military set off nukes along the fault line maybe Ca. Or. And wa. Will just slide off the continent. Hahahahaha !

Wild Bill

@DW, I hope that you are at least 70 miles from any point on the Seattle perimeter because Seattle is a priority on the Chinese nuclear target list.

Pitchfork peasant

Enemy territory. I left. Didnt go far enough. At least headed in right diection. So far

Catatonic

When I lived in Vegas back in the late ’60s & early ’70s, we used to joke about having beachfront property as soon as San Andreas put California into the ocean. Of course, we had lots of friends and loved ones in California at that time (still have one or two there), so we hoped it would happen when they were all back home in Vegas for a weekend.

Some guy

Just remember, and make sure you preach it. DNC is antifa. antifa is DNC. These are democrat party terrorists, plain and simple.

Red Falcon 1325

For context in my comment, I’m a retired cop. The video of the UC running up to the protester with pistol drawn is short with no detail. But given that, it is still one of the absolute stupidist things I’ve ever seen a cop do. He didn’t appear to try to identify himself. No badge observed in the video. If he did that in a group armed with legal concealed carry, he’d be dead, at least with the men I run with. What a whopping moron.

RoyD

It seems like you are representing your organization very well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Falcons

Heed the Call-up

Red, apparently you failed reading comprehension 101. The man was *NOT* a LEO, nor former LEO. He was former military and was working a security detail to protect the reporters that were there reporting on the rioting. So, not only did his actions keep them safe, but kept all those in the area safe from, not one, but *TWO* rioters that illegally obtained, aka stole, firearms from police vehicles that were left there in the area of the riot.

Ironically, you posted a meme as a signature block to explain that your post is what stupid looks like.

Oldman

The for hire security dude seen in the vid, did in fact retrieve both ARs, one from the gentleman who took it out of police car and the other one from the same burning car.

Wild Bill

@Old, Are you telling us that the police left a loaded AR type firearm behind when he abandoned his vehicle? That is scary.

Finnky

@WB – That is correct. Cops abandoned vehicles containing two ARs in this particular instance. Few hoplophobes realize that vast majority of cop vehicles contain at least an AR or a shotgun (often both). My guess is that most of those burned out police vehicles being shown on TV contained at least one long-arm destroyed along with the vehicle. Thank goodness rioters do not have the foresight to capitalize on all those opportunities. While armed resistance may well be necessary against current escalations toward totalitarian government, those people involved in the riots are not working to benefit of any of… Read more »

Knute

Finnky: Perhaps this action (leaving your weapons behind) would be better accepted into people’s heads if the headlines said: “Police FLEE FROM RIOTERS”, rather than: “Police abandon their vehicles”?
🙂

Superman

In reality, the VAST MAJORITY of SPD patrol vehicles have had ZERO shotguns/rifles inside for many, many, years. You are talking out of your fat azz, Finnky. But thanks for playing.

PMinFl

WB police lives matter, seems more than others.

Wild Bill

@PMin, Most humorous!

Oldman

@WB, Yes, apparently. I didn’t see him/her leave the vehicle, but they were in the middle of the riot and looting. Vehicle was probably locked, can’t say for sure, of course, but the Seattle cops are under orders not to show any kinds of armament, except their sidearms and probably told not to take them out either. When they Nat GRD troops were in town they were not armed at all, except batons. Elsewhere in the other cities they all appeared to be carrying M4s. Seattle is a shithole.

Oldman

OV, Nope not fake police car, not fake rioter…..He did not fight the guy taking it away from him. That semi auto pointed in his face pretty much evacuated his bowels. I also am pretty sure the perp never fired the AR. He was looking at it like he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Nah he just wanted to run away and take it home. After all, They are getting hard to get. I’m trying to do a build right now and I can’t even find 16″ barrels unless they are already attached to a cut rate upper… Read more »

Tionico

your generosity in referring to the dirtbag that stole th eAR from the cop car he most likleyh set on fire is, uhm, “interesting”. I would refer to the MAN who took quick and decisive action in disarming said dirtbag and securing the weapon. As to any legalitis, I’d say his use of lethal force in presenting HIS handgun is fully justified. Said dirtbag had already discharged several rounds into the burning car. It would be reasonable to hold thaat said dirtbag would continue such behaviour, at what cost to life or property is only guessed, until he’s run out… Read more »