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Arrests, cop injured after reports of fights brings large police response outside Capitol Hill’s Mint Lounge

 

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Capitol Hill’s Mint Lounge has found itself at the middle of another large SPD response to troubles with nightlife crowds after a officers from both the West and the East Precinct rushed to disturbances and scuffles with police outside the Pine nightclub early Saturday morning.

According to Seattle Police, there were two arrests and a police sergeants received minor injuries when they were kicked during the just before 2 AM fracas in the streets outside the club as multiple fights reportedly broke out among last call crowds.

The SPD report on the incident describes multiple fights in a large crowd bringing out the first call of officers “to try to get the crowd to disperse and not block the roadway.”

“A fast backup was called, and East and West units responded to restore public order,” SPD reports.

#2022-061714/East Precinct/Third Watch:

On 03-12-2022 at 0156, at bar closing time outside the Mint Lounge, multiple fight disturbances broke out among a large crowd. Patrol responded to try to get the crowd to disperse and not block the roadway. A fast backup was called, and East and West units responded to restore public order. Two arrests were made, and one sergeant received minor injuries. One Type 2 Use of Force reported.

The early Saturday callout is part of a string of recent troubles outside the club. Last weekend, police were called to the area after reports of a dispute and threats of gun violence just before 2 AM Sunday. According to police, a victim showed up at the nearby Swedish First Hill with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the hand but left before officers arrived.

That shooting followed another bout of gun violence in the area around Melrose and Pine last month that shattered glass at a nearby restaurant, riddled parked vehicles with bullets, and sent bullets flying into nearby apartments.

As in last weekend’s callout, more officers were already in the area at the time of Saturday’s fights as SPD is maintaining its increased presence only a few blocks away downtown as part of a renewed “hot spot” policing strategy hoped to quiet ongoing waves of violent crime and street disorder in the city.

CHS reported here last year on the transformation of the former Baltic Room into the Mint Lounge under the venue’s new ownership.

The club’s ownership has not responded to CHS’s questions about the recent incidents and this weekend’s police response outside the venue.

 

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10 Comments
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Reality
Reality
2 years ago

It’s a public nuisance. Shut it down.

Moving Soon
Moving Soon
2 years ago

Wouldn’t the increase in these instances be a statistical measurement of returning to normal?

Caphiller
Caphiller
2 years ago

The city should threaten to revoke the club’s liquor license if these “incidents” happen again. Somehow all the other nightclubs in the neighborhood manage to operate without near-weekly violence.

JCW
JCW
2 years ago

Really, it’s not Mint’s fault for the problems in this area. It’s capitalism. No, wait, forget that, it’s the police. Nope, that’s not it either. Landlords! Yes, that’s…dammit, nope. Gentrification? Golf? Macklemore? F’ it, let’s just blame Amazon.

Buzzin’
Buzzin’
2 years ago
Reply to  JCW

Best response so far in 2022! Got me laughing. And I think you captured all the hot topics! Well, maybe Sawant, City Council and the City Attorney need a shout out. Cheers –

Nomnom
Nomnom
2 years ago
Reply to  JCW

Ha! Well done. You could cut and paste this same response for every crime story on the Hill. Just remember kids: crime and violence is never the fault of the people who commit it :/

d.c.
d.c.
2 years ago
Reply to  JCW

This is a weird comment because people who have lived here know that this club has been a violence magnet for like 15 years and never seems to get shut down. I’ve never witnessed anyone ever attempt to blame it on anything but the joint itself. So this is the exact wrong place to make this joke, if that’s the word for it.

JCW
JCW
2 years ago
Reply to  d.c.

And yet! Look at the comments on today’s post on the lawsuit against Vulcan, Walgreens, and Starbucks. Seattle’s gun violence problem is their fault because of…displacement? You can argue that this specific post is the wrong place to drop this comment, but you can’t argue the fact that there are many, MANY people on this site who are quick to blame anything other than the irresponsible actions of those involved in the violence.

tom
tom
2 years ago

will continue unabated as the weather warms.

iluvcaphill
iluvcaphill
2 years ago

How’s this club still open.