Editor's note: This is an ongoing news story, return back to this article for more updates.

August 7, 2025:

Capitol Hill Pride Co-Director Charlette LeFevre has notified the SGN that the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) has now responded to their complaint filed on July 29.

The OPA states "it was determined that the rally in question was not permitted, and that officers provided traffic control until the event became hostile towards police and they had to move to another event at a different location. Additionally, there is no SPD policy that requires officer’s to provide traffic control for an unlawful assembly. Any enforcement of such assembly is discretionary. As such, this complaint does not meet the requirement of a policy violation."

The OPA finishes by saying, "This message is intended to notify you that no further action will be taken by OPA."

Capitol Hill Pride has also responded, disputing the claims made by the OPA writing, "The 'John Lewis Lives On' following the national 50501 movement was a registered event for Seattle and considered a free speech event which does not need a permit. Regardless, traffic control was offered by SPD as well as previously requested to Kiah Patzkowsky of the office of Special Events."

The organization goes on to explain "It is our understanding that marches and Sit-ins are considered freespeech events and per Seattle municipal code police are required to escort any march or protest for safety. We saw no instance of hostility toward police except a young man with an anti-police sign. Free speech or criticism is not a reason to justify leaving thirty people at risk in the street. If there was a specific action towards police or physical threat please let us know. Again, perceived hostility or criticism we feel was not a reason to abandon traffic control."

Capitol Hill Pride finished their response by saying, "At this time we would like to request the full names of all the officers involved, the other event they 'had to' move to and any evidence- including body cam video of ourrequests to officers for traffic control at the start of the event and at the time the officers abandoned traffic control."

The SGN reached out to the Seattle Police Department again for immediate comment, and has yet to received a reply.


Original article July 29, 2025:

Capitol Hill Pride announced it has filed an Office of Police Accountability (OPA) complaint against the Seattle Police Department, after the Police Outreach and Engagement Team (POET) and uniformed officers allegedly abandoned their traffic control duties during the “John Lewis Lives On” day of action event near Seattle Central College on July 17. 

At approximately 6:30pm, the organization reports that protestors were staging a sit-in on Broadway Ave. when police began to leave the area with no precautions for the protestors being left behind.

Charlette LeFevre, Co-Director of Capitol Hill Pride, tells the SGN that “At the end of the day, its about safety and doing everything we can.” 

With over 20 years of experience in community events and safety, LeFevre says there was no justifiable reason for the officers present to suddenly ditch the event as they did. The only verbal warning she and others received came from one SPD officer who stated hurriedly and with no explanation: “I have to take care of my officers.” 

LeFevre reports calling the SPD that morning requesting the Seattle Department of Transportation be present for traffic control backup in case SPD officers were needed elsewhere. 
She points out that “there is a municipal code that actually states the SPD is required to provide traffic control, even for anti-police marches.”

Activists that day were forced to move orange barricades and signs from a nearby construction site to protect themselves, with LeFevre even parking her car in the middle of the street to block oncoming traffic. 

This most recent instance follows in a long line of problematic behavior from the SPD. On May 24th, the SGN covered the violent police crackdown against peaceful counter-protesters during the “Save the Children” event run by Spokane-based, anti-LGBT organization MayDay USA at Cal Anderson Park.  
Capitol Hill Pride and LeFevre were also present during that event. She shared her disgust to the SGN, explaining that after the way people were treated by SPD, mentioning once she saw a POET officer arrest someone in the crowd, she had lost all faith in the department’s ability to handle these situations competently. “There is a good chance we will be filing an additional OPA complaint in the near future” she affirms.    

The SGN has reached out to the SPD for initial comment about this event and the group’s OPA filing, but did not receive an immediate reply.