Police misconduct agency on the watch during Election Day

SEATTLE — Law enforcement agencies in Washington state’s larger cities are prepared to respond to unrest during the election on Tuesday.

At the same time, police misconduct investigators warned that they’ll be watching the officers to make sure they handle protesters appropriately.

The Office of Police Accountability said its investigators and supervisors are on-call and ready to respond to potential misconduct and complaints.

They encouraged the Seattle Police Department “to allow demonstrators to freely exercise their First Amendment rights.” They said that would include “not creating unnecessary barricades or arbitrarily restricting movement.”

The agency also advised demonstrators to protest peacefully and discouraged damaging property or causing injuries

Cox Media Group