Violence erupts near Seattle Center

By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 news

SEATTLE - It was violent night at Seattle Center on Saturday as gunshots were fired toward police officers and at least one person was badly beaten.

There were at least two, possibly three violent incidents around Seattle Center Sunday night involving gunshots and assaults in the hours after a high school football game and hip hop party let out.

Police, including Seattle gang units, swarmed the area around Seattle Center beginning around 1:30 a.m.

Policed said the first incident involved someone who had approached police and asked for an escort to their car because they were afraid they would be attacked.

As officers were walking with that person, someone fired shots in their direction, but no one was hurt.

Another incident happened a few blocks away where there were shots fired near 2nd and Roy. Again no one was hurt.

In a third incident at about 2:20 a.m., a man was badly beaten.

All this was going on as the crowd lingered after the Garfield - Franklin High football game and as a long running, upscale urban dance party was taking place.

The promoter of that event doesn't believe anyone from his "Virgo 2008" party was involved. Chukundi Salisbury said he's sick of events like his getting a bad reputation because of other members of the community.

"This is indicative of a larger problem in Seattle and in Washington and across the country. So yeah, I'm upset. I'm upset that I even have to come here and talk about it, quite frankly because I got in the phone this morning with people who went to the even and they had no idea that anything had happened," said Salisbury.

Police say at least one person was arrested overnight. That person is believed to have been involved in the shots fired toward police.

SPD had no more information to release about the incident.