SPOKANE, Wash – Spokane Police should work proactively to prepare for safer response to large protests, like the one outside of an ICE facility last summer. That’s the recommendation from the Office of the Police Ombudsman.
The OPO just issued its closing report on the ICE protests from June 2025 and the Spokane Police Department’s response.
The report is 166 pages long and includes 26 recommendations, many of which SPD has already put in place.
The Incident
The protests on June 11, 2025 were in response to several people being detained by federal immigration authorities.
Several people, including former Spokane City Council president Ben Stuckart, urged people to come to the ICE facility just north of Riverfront Park to support the detained individuals.
“During the afternoon and evening, SPD personnel monitored the protest, activated tactical resources, established command operations, communicated with federal agencies and coordinated with county law enforcement personnel,” the OPO report says.
It notes that SPD allowed the protests to go on for several hours before declaring an unlawful assembly, after which officers arrested people, fired pepper balls, bean bag rounds and irritants into the crowd.
“The response occurred in a dense urban area near Riverfront Park, local businesses, public sidewalks and streets, and One Spokane Stadium, where a professional soccer game was underway,” the report says.
The OPO’s report says the office received several complaints and concerns about the police response. The complaints concerned SPD’s role in relation to federal immigration enforcement, the lack of clarity on orders given to the crowd, the use of smoke and other munitions and other concerns.
‘Complex operational environment’
The OPO report says records of the incident shows police command faced a “complex operational environment”, balancing First Amendment rights, public safety and Washington law.
They also had to consider the safety of people inside the federal facility and the safety of those in the crowd.
The report says “many community members experienced the police response as confusing, frightening, escalating, and difficult to comply with.”
Bystanders report not understanding where they could stand, whether or not the declaration of unlawful assembly was legal and how to safely leave the area.
‘Several Commendable Practices’
The report highlighted several things the OPO believes police did well that night, including seeking legal guidance about acting during a federal immigration response. The report says there were several examples of when calm communication and clear instruction was given, along with calm demeanor by SPD personnel.
Recommended Changes
The report lists 26 recommendations for the city and SPD going forward.
The first is for the SPD to create a protocol for incidents involving federal immigration facilities, federal requests for assistance, or protests related to immigration enforcements.
The OPO also recommends SPD require a written or recorded mission statement during First Amendment or crowd management events. That mission, which can change, should outline public safety concerns, command structure and limits on police action.
It also suggests SPD integrate de-escalation policies into any First Amendment and crowd management operations.
“Policy should also clarify that passive resistance, expressive conduct, or non-compliance alone should not automatically justify force absent additional facts establishing an articulable public safety concern, threat, or lawful basis for enforcement.”
The report recommends more standardized dispersal order delivery and that the department develop a clear and layered communication and dialogue plan to work with crowds and protesters.
Further recommendations involve clarifying use of force policies and that the department develop a medical and decontamination plan for crowd events.
You can read the full report and all of those recommendations in the report, attached to this article.
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and Police Chief Kevin Hall issued a joint statement Tuesday night in response to the report.
“We are grateful for the time and thorough review that went into this closing report, which was conducted at our request in the aftermath of the protests that occurred on June 11. The Office of the Police Ombuds exists to promote accountability and public confidence in local law enforcement by providing independent review of police actions and thoughtful policy recommendations. Independent oversight strengthens the credibility, professionalism, and integrity of the Spokane Police Department.
“SPD has taken several proactive steps consistent with many of the OPO’s recommendations before the report was published. Those include strengthening the Dialogue Team within the Department, procuring “Spokane Police” back identification panels , clarifying use of force reporting, and updating officer masking policies to better identify department members.
“We look forward to thoroughly reviewing the rest of the report and the remaining recommendations to guide how we can continue making improvements for the safety of our community and officers.”
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