All FBI Seattle Agents Prepared "Show Of Force" To Raid CHOP

On June 30, 2020, the Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Division asked all agents to be ready to deploy to Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest, according to an email obtained by HardPressed.

At the time, the FBI was operating a domestic terrorism investigation inside the CHOP and had mass-recruited informants into the protest zone. However, following two homicides, the FBI and Seattle Police Department planned to shut down the zone in the early morning hours of July 1, 2020.

"All FBI Seattle Agents are to be prepared to deploy to the CHOP NLT 6A tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1, in order to provide a show of force in solidarity with SPD as SPD removes remaining occupants from the CHOP," an FBI Seattle SWAT Coordinator wrote in an email. "I do not think this is either a safe nor wise thing to do, and have stated so emphatically. Hang on while we try and steer this in the right direction."

At 2:23am on July 1, 2020, the same FBI SWAT coordinator wrote that his squad should stand down. "We are not deploying or otherwise participating," he said. "Some HQC Agents will assist with interviews." (HQC is the acronym for headquarters city, meaning the Seattle Field Office.)

Both emails above were obtained through a public records request.

Hours later the FBI and Seattle Police Department raided the protest zone and took back control of the department's East Precinct. The overt FBI presence at the raid was subdued.

The FBI Seattle declined to comment for this report.