Police officers and a wall of dumpsters stand between Tacoma Mall and looters
The Tacoma Mall looked liked like it was ready for a siege Monday night.
Walls of green dumpsters blocked several key entrances. Others were guarded by police vehicles, their lights flashing against drivers who were forced to make impromptu U-turns.
The response, by Tacoma police with help from the Washington State Patrol and Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, was a precautionary move, police said.
Organized teams of looters hit malls and businesses in Puget Sound Sunday, including The Outlet Collection in Auburn.
Cities across the country have been wracked by riots and looting, including in Seattle, following otherwise peaceful demonstrations against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis a week ago.
“It’s easier to prevent it then it is to stop it,” said Tacoma police spokeswoman Wendy Haddow Monday evening.
As police guarded the mall from looters, two groups of peaceful protesters were marching on Tacoma streets. They were outgrowths of a demonstration that began in Wright Park earlier in the day.
Haddow would not say how many officers were dedicated to the mall.
Kantor Diamonds at the mall had its windows boarded up. A police vehicle, red and blue lights flashing, was parked in the jeweler’s parking lot. Nearby businesses and others across the city were also boarded up.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 9:14 PM.
