Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall publicly apologized and acknowledged it was a mistake that two plainclothes officers attended last week’s protest with their faces covered by masks. Speaking at a city council committee meeting on Monday, Hall said he takes full responsibility for the incident, which he said occurred because of a communication breakdown within the department.
The protest where the masked officers were seen took place on Wednesday. More than a thousand healthcare workers and other participants marched from the downtown Riverfront Park to the county courthouse. Built on the site of the 1974 World’s Fair, the park has historically served as a key public space and natural gathering point for events because of its symbolic significance and convenient central location in Spokane. The march was organized to honor 37-year-old Alexander Pretty, an intensive care unit nurse who was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Hall emphasized that neither he nor the on-scene commander knew about the presence of these officers.
Overall, Spokane police, unlike counterparts in larger, more protest-active cities such as Seattle, take a more restrained approach to such events, which occur less frequently and on a smaller scale here. However, this incident again highlighted the ambivalent perception of law enforcement held by some members of the community. In response, police leadership promptly issued a departmental memo to all personnel clearly prohibiting the wearing of any masks or face coverings while on duty. Exceptions are allowed only for medical reasons or operational necessity — for example, the use of gas masks when deploying tear gas — which must be approved in advance and in writing.
Mayor Lisa Brown supported the police chief’s actions and this policy, saying that mask-wearing by law enforcement is directly tied to public trust. She noted that against a backdrop of public concern about masked federal agents’ actions in other cities, Spokane residents have the right to know who is protecting them. City council members urged the public to continue reporting any similar violations.
The organizer of the memorial march, 27-year-old nurse Alexander Knox, expressed disappointment upon learning of the breach. Before the event he had coordinated safety issues with the police and was told officers would be present in identifiable uniforms for coordination. Knox also mentioned that the state legislature is considering bill SB 6075, which would officially ban law enforcement officers from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. In Washington’s current political climate, where Democrats control the legislative and executive branches, the likelihood of such a bill passing is considered relatively high, although it may face adjustments due to opposition.
Despite the incident, Knox noted that the large turnout march was largely peaceful and became a unifying community event. Police confirmed there were no incidents during the protest that required their intervention. Nevertheless, the case of the masked officers cast a shadow over the impression and again raised the important issue of police transparency.
Based on: Spokane police chief apologizes for officers wearing masks at protest