Donnitta Sinclair, center, mother of Lorenzo Anderson, who was killed nearby by gunfire days earlier, is comforted by others while visiting the area Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Anderson, who was 19, was one of two people shot Saturday morning at the edge of the Capitol Hill protest zone known as CHOP. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan will propose $20 million in cuts to the police budget in the remainder of 2020, the most of any department as the city attempts to fill a hole of about $400 million caused by the coronavirus.
Durkan proposes slashing about 5% of the Seattle Police budget this year with an officer hiring freeze until a new plan is developed 'œreflecting community priorities for public safety,'ť The Seattle Times reported. Many of the protests that have dominated Seattle for weeks have demanded a 50% cut to the police department's budget as a key goal. Durkan has asked the department to prepare models of what 20%, 30% and 50% budget cuts would look like.
Also on Tuesday police were investigating the third shooting incident near a neighborhood protest zone in Seattle that has been occupied since a police station was largely abandoned after clashes with demonstrators over a week ago.
Durkan said Monday the city would move to wind down the protest zone following the shootings that have distracted from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters opposing racial inequity and police brutality.
Early Tuesday, the latest shooting left a man in his 30s wounded in the Capitol Hill neighborhood east of downtown. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was killed Saturday and the condition of a 33-year-old man shot around the same time was upgraded Monday to satisfactory. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the arm Sunday night near the area. He was treated at a hospital and released.
Police said the latest victim refused to provide any information about the shooting or a suspect description.
Less activity was seen Tuesday on the streets of the protest zone, but a nearby park where people have been camping for weeks remained bustling.
Durkan has said police will soon return to the station where police clashed with protesters following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Protesters cordoned off the several-block area near the East Precinct after riot squads used tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bangs on large crowds of mostly peaceful protesters. The tactics have drawn condemnation from city leaders and a federal court order temporarily halting the use of the weapons on demonstrators.
Police Chief Carmen Best said in a letter Tuesday to the community that the situation requires a complete re-envisioning of safety and the police department's role in it.
'œWe have listened for generations, and we will continue to listen," Best said. "But the time for talk and committees is over. We must act. Together.'ť
She provided a draft of discussion items such as redesigning the mission of city police to reflect humanization not criminalization; allowing a resident to join the command staff; and working with neighbors to determine which non-violent 911 calls can acceptably be passed to other agencies or turned over to the community.
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AP photographer Elaine Thompson contributed from Seattle.
A person takes a photo of the Seattle Police East Precinct building, Monday, June 22, 2020, inside what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone in Seattle. For the second time in less than 48 hours, there was a shooting near the "CHOP" area that has been occupied by protesters after Seattle Police pulled back from several blocks of the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Police Department's East Precinct building. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Donnitta Sinclair, left, mother of Lorenzo Anderson, who was killed by gunfire days earlier, stands with her husband Jovia Martin as she talks about her son's death during a broadcast by Converge Media, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Anderson, who was 19, was one of two people shot Saturday morning at the edge of the Capitol Hill protest zone known as CHOP. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best speaks during a news conference Monday, June 22, 2020, in Seattle. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)
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Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan speaks during a news conference Monday, June 22, 2020, in Seattle. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an 'occupied' protest zone following two weekend shootings, Durkan said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by 'anarchists." (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)
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Activist and community organizer Andre Taylor speaks during a news conference Monday, June 22, 2020, in Seattle. Taylor, who founded of the anti-police-shooting organization Not This Time! after his brother was killed by Seattle police in 2016, said Monday that he had warned protest organizers that the city would need to retake the area because of the violence. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an 'occupied' protest zone following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)
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A sign posts demands to the city, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Ellen Chung, right, poses with her son Patrick Chung for a selfie as they visit blocked off streets in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Converge Media guest host Marcus Harrison, left, and producer Acacia Iyana broadcast their citizen journalism show Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, down the block from a closed Seattle police precinct in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. The volunteer group has been broadcasting a show five days a week from the area for about a month. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Christeen, who declined to give her last name, cooks food brought from her family's farm for protesters camping in a park Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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A woman looks at tents housing protesters camping in a park Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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Pedestrians wander through barricaded streets Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Associated Press
Protesters applaud a speaker Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in Seattle, where streets are blocked off in what has been named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone. Faced with growing pressure to crack down on the area following two weekend shootings, Seattle's mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
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