Private security guards were recently hired to keep people out of a city-owned Seattle park during off-hours. They didn’t make it past their first shift.
The park, Cal Anderson Park, had been closed since the end of June so the city could make repairs to damaged property after the protests following George Floyd’s death. The park had grown into a camp where protesters gathered for riots, handed out supplies, and distributed food. During the homeless encampment cleanup, officers recovered a machete, an unexploded mortar, a hatchet, makeshift shields, homemade spike strips, and other weapons.
The Jaguar Security Firm was hired to keep people out of the park between the hours of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Two armed security guards entered the park and were immediately encountered by a group of people, including some who were armed with poles and sticks.
“I went there to make sure, as the owner of the company, that nothing serious would go down. I wanted to make sure everything was going to be cool. As soon as we entered that park, they started verbally attacking us … calling us all kinds of names like ‘sellouts’ and [telling us] what they would do to us,” Ricky McGhee, the company’s owner, said.
The security guards said someone shined a bright light at them while trying to chase them out of the park. People shouted obscenities and questioned why they were there. The firm left the park during their first shift and waited by the sidewalk for officers. They were concerned for their safety and not looking for a fight. If officers or security guards can’t shoot to defend themselves, then they are just targets.
A video of the incident showed the guards walking out of the park and towards the street while bystanders in all black yelled at them to “move back.” The footage also shows a group of rioters marching from the park to the East Precinct, where some threw garbage and two flaming objects at the precinct.
“We didn’t go out there with young muscle-headed guys ready to fight. They cost a minority-owned company a contract. They cost people their jobs,” McGhee said. He explained that they were simply there to let people know they couldn’t be in the park and nothing else.
If they are clearing out the parks and the riots have stopped, then why is the state still letting people there after hours? It’s a good thing Jaguar Security Firm noticed this was a no-win situation when dealing with insane and uncivilized leftist rioters. They knew they were there for security, not to engage in combat operations.
It is not a matter of courage but common sense to walk away, especially when the media will always pick the side of the rioters.
