CHS checked in with the Seattle Police Department about their response to Saturday night's 'guerrilla dance party' in the empty lot at Pine/Belmont. Spokesperson Mark Jamieson confirmed that there was only one arrest related to the incident -- a 23-year-old male hauled in for allegedly keying a patrol car.
Jamieson said officers responded after the department received 'numerous' 911 calls about loud music and the gathering crowd just after midnight. "A lot of people didn't appreciate the loud music going on at midnight."
Jamieson said the large police response was appropriate given the size of the crowd that had assembled. "It was a sizable response because it was a sizable crowd," Jamieson said. Jamieson said he was unsure of the exact number of people in the lot and didn't have information about how many officers responded. He said arriving officers told the event's 'organizers' that they needed to shut the 'large stereo system' down and that they complied.
Jamieson also said he was not aware of any follow-up discussion with Murray Franklyn, the developers who own the empty lot. "We did what we set out to achieve," Jamieson said. "We were getting complaints about the noise and the noise stopped."