Tacoma cop - and street racer mob - must answer for reckless behavior downtown

The sight of a Tacoma police SUV trying to escape a rowdy crowd, running down people in a downtown street and accelerating away from the scene on Pacific Avenue is unnerving, to say the least. Raw video clips capture a terrible 10 seconds that could well be classified as a hit and run, if an ordinary citizen were at the wheel.

Saturday’s incident is a sobering reminder that police use of deadly force need not result in death, as in the Manuel Ellis homicide last March, to cause deep turmoil in a city. An independent investigation is underway, and public officials and community activists are right to push for answers and accountability.

But as serious as it was, Tacoma officials must not gloss over the reason why cops were called to this ugly scene in the first place: a surge of South Sound street racing, with brazen impunity by a mob of spectators and wanton disregard of police authority.

It’s understandable that emotions are running high. News of a police vehicle barrelling through a crowd and injuring at least two people quickly stirred local activists into action, months after they coalesced around the deaths of Ellis in Tacoma and George Floyd in Minneapolis. Their right to peacefully protest cannot, and must not, be denied.. Reports that at least two nonviolent protesters were arrested this weekend are disturbing.

But there’s another reference point that resonates with many Pierce County residents, a recent wound that’s still fresh: the sight of police being overwhelmed by an insurrectionist mob at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, and news of one officer dying after being struck by a fire extinguisher in the melee.

Investigators must gather information from all sides, and that includes considering why a veteran cop of nearly 30 years felt compelled to punch the gas pedal last weekend.

Fear of mob violence doesn’t excuse his split-second reaction, but it adds context.

Likewise, the fact that around 100 spectators took over a major downtown intersection to watch illegal street races doesn’t justify them being run down. But the fact that they refused to disperse, became hostile with responding officers, swarmed the SUV and banged on its windows does add important context.

Street racing is an age-old subversive activity that comes and goes in cycles. Fifteen years ago, races drew crowds of as many as 500 to industrial parts of Auburn, Kent and unincorporated Pierce County, leading to fatal wrecks, a flurry of police crackdowns and a TNT investigation headlined “Flirting with Death.”

The situation had improved by the end of 2007. “Organized street racing is not an issue, at least that we are aware of,” a Tacoma police spokesman said.

If only that were true in 2021. Across the country, the pandemic has brought a spike in street racing — in New York City, complaints increased 440 percent last spring and summer — and the South Sound is no exception. Puyallup this month adopted an anti-racing ordinance, including warning signs posted in parts of the city. Auburn has done spot shutdowns of popular racing areas after two people were critically injured at a race last month.

Tacoma also has seen an uptick of racers blocking streets, disrupting neighborhoods and leaving burn marks behind. Scofflaws are taking advantage of idle time and less-trafficked business centers during the COVID-19 shutdown. Sadly, they’re also exploiting a growing disaffection with public safety officers among some segments of society.

This lawlessness cannot continue, with participants simply moving from community to community. Public officials must crack down on racers, spectators and anyone else who promotes this reckless behavior.

Tacoma City Council member Lillian Hunter correctly observed Monday that “time is of the essence” and that without action, there’s a risk “Tacoma is known where you can come do this thing and there’s no repercussions for it.”

Hunter spoke at a special meeting called in response to the weekend’s downtown chaos, including fires and broken windows.

Yes, shocking incidents like this demand accountability. But it must not stop at those who wear a badge.

Street-racing lawbreakers who failed to disperse and others who caused mayhem Saturday should be identifiable from cellphone video and police body-cam recordings. They must answer for their participation, as well.

This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 3:40 PM.