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Private ‘high threat protection’ team part of response to overnight CHOP shooting

(Image: Iconic Global via Instagram)

As one teen was killed and another was wounded in Monday’s early morning shooting following a night of driveby gun violence, no police came to the scene and the surviving 14-year-old had to be brought out of the protest zone to be transported by Seattle Fire, a heavily armed team swung into action to help and provide medical assistance.

Joseph Spiro tells CHS that Iconic Global “high threat private protection” teams have deployed in the area protecting client businesses and residential properties with patrols and rapid response to threats and dangerous situations near the protest zone.

“We support the message. Obviously, there are people taking advantage of it. We’re there to make sure people feel safe,” Spiro said.

While he was unable to provide details of the company’s clients, neighbors have reported the security personnel at the Car Tender auto garage and other nearby buildings. Car Tender became the center of a controversial incident at CHOP after a burglary suspect was caught in the act but police refused to come to the scene inside the protest zone.

Spiro says the one-year-old Auburn, Washington company is paid by clients in the area but also is providing some support to businesses and buildings in the area pro bono. He says Iconic Global has also helped some inside the CHOP camp with medical help and support. “We’ve been working with some of the leaders of CHOP, too, to explain why we are there — not to get in the way of what they’re doing.”

Monday morning, Spiro said the Iconic Global team in the area last night near 12th and E Olive St responded to provide medical assistance at the camp after the deadly shooting. None of the security personnel were involved in any exchanges of gunfire, Spiro said.

Spiro said they have heard from some at the camp and in the neighborhood about concerns about the heavily armed security group working in the area. But he tells CHS Iconic Global team members have also found plenty of support.

“Vast majority of what we are hearing have been pretty happy with us being there,” Spiro said.

You can learn more at iconicglobalusa.com.

 

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26 Comments
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caphiller
caphiller
3 years ago

Who are paying Iconic Global? The chop area businesses and property owners?

Defund the Police –>> private security forces.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago
Reply to  caphiller

Our increasingly clueless city councilmember Lorena González just blamed “unscrupulous gun dealers who allow far too easy access to weapons” for the violence in the CHOP.

Because, of course, a lawless area filled with armed anarchists, addicts, criminals and late night drug & alcohol-fueled parties could never be the source of gun violence in and around the CHOP.

Everybody knows how drug gangs get their guns: they steal them or they buy them from people who steal them. The notion that a 16 year old with a long rap sheet can walk into a gun shop and lay down his cash for a Glock hidden in the back room is absurd.

González’s comments would be laughable if they weren’t so dangerous: you cannot fix a problem like gun violence if you cannot even identify or acknowledge what causes it. I’m sure her primary goal is to repeat activist talking points, even if they are completely removed from reality.

And thanks to our hug-a-criminal joke of a justice system, repeat offenders are routinely released into the community (and skip their hearing); and far too often, their weapons charges are easily pleaded down to non-violent charges.

If you decriminalize drugs, give violent repeat offenders a slap on the wrist, enable gang culture and blame society for the resulting mayhem, there will always be a cycle of violence. And the people who are victimized by these idiotic, ideologically-driven decisions won’t be the Karens of the world.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

González also said that “gun safety” is what we need. Again, the notion that gang members with stolen arms would take a gun safety class (or disarm, for that matter) is ludicrous.

Here’s another (actual) thing behind the endless cycle of gun violence: no-snitch. When witnesses to gun crimes scatter, disappear and protect violent killers, those killers will likely kill again.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago

To a certain degree, the Anarchists & the Shaun Scott Communist Club have achieved one of their primary goals at the CHOP: eliminating government and seizing public property.

Did the leaders of Little Caracas ever think about what would happen AFTER they got rid of government? I’ll tell you what always happens: private security forces and militias fill the void.

I wonder what makes the Anarchist kids and their Socialist comrades believe heavily-armed backwoods boys will be more accountable than the SPD.

Steve
Steve
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Yep. If police lose their jobs, they’re going to be snapped up by private firms. So it will be the same people as before but with even less regulation and accountability. Brilliant.

Nora
Nora
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

And private security serves those who can pay. The wealthy will have security, the poor will be vigilantes or victims.

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Nora

Yep, personal security service, militia, gangs – what could go wrong?

Jacob
Jacob
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

The great equalizer I think is education for this reason; if they were aware of how many movements of “good intentions” resulted in even less bearable situations afterwards they could avoid at least the comic book level mistakes like these. They’re just moving the furniture around, but education has longer term value, which is really the major factor in prosperity.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  Jacob

There is a long history of privileged people thinking they will lead some sort of socialist revolution. It has never ended well anywhere. All they need are some followers hungry for a cause. If you watch the telling footage from Converge Media about CHOP it just puts the entire shit show on display. Not saying they have an intention in their coverage but its good in that it lets you draw your own conclusion. As to the private security, what does anyone think is going to happen in this zone of policeless fantasy.

David
David
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Wait haven’t we seen this before? Oh right, American invades Iraq, overthrows the government, hires private security to mange the country, gives birth to Al-Qaeda. Nothing new here.

Saul
Saul
3 years ago

This is the US and with our gun laws apparently people are going to be shot regardless. On-duty armed police officers can’t or won’t prevent that–as we see on a regular basis. When someone is shot and/or killed though, we want there to be thorough investigation and legal ramifications. That’s something the police can’t provide for themselves. So I’d rather have private security forces who are subject to legal prosecution, than the public paramilitary forces (cops) who are not.

Lorenzo
Lorenzo
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

>I’d rather have private security forces

You’re about to get your wish.

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Lorenzo

I hope you are arguing from the absurd.

Otherwise, please tell me what is the difference between a private security force and a militia?

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

So far in 2020 SPD has responded to 171,000 calls for service. Some have been person with a gun, some have been domestic violence, etc. If dispatched 171,000 it is inevitable that they have prevented many things. The state constitution mandates that cities over a certain size in WA state have a police department. Seattle has 750,000 people in total who likely do not all want to “defund the police”, including many people of color in the actual communities who are not full time, camping activists.

WiseModerate
WiseModerate
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

If private security is replacing police then who will be investigating private security when they’re involved in a shooting?

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  WiseModerate

And when violence occurs between “private security services”, who will ajudicate and on what authority?

Bill W
Bill W
3 years ago
Reply to  WiseModerate

WiseModrate, give me a break. Tell us who the private security killed last night. At the same time the Chopsters murdered two teenagers, tampered with evidence, no weapons were found in the car, windows in the car were rolled up, and streets were blocked.

Why isn’t everyone up in arms about two teenagers being murdered by anarcho chopsters? Is it because black lives really don’t mater to CH hipsters?

Moving On
Moving On
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

The idea that private security will be more accountable than the police is a laughable fantasy.

Please give an example of when privatizing public services has resulted in greater accountability.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

So, what “private security forces” goes out and investigates murders? What private businesses can one hire to investigate, say, Lorenzo’s murder, find his killer(s), and arrest them? Please provide Yelp listings, so we can read their reviews.

P-patch
P-patch
3 years ago
Reply to  Saul

Maybe we hire Blackwater? They did such a great job in Iraq and Seattle is no Baghdad! Private security my A$$.

Uncreated
Uncreated
3 years ago

The woman in the picture is THICC. Yum!

Moving On
Moving On
3 years ago

Thank you! I appreciate you following up on this and I’m glad to understand this piece of the story much better.

Can’t say I see either private police or more guns as an improvement for our neighborhood. If businesses are seeing heavily armed private security forces as an answer, that says a lot about where we are right now.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago

Good grief – Capitol Hill is beginning to look like a cheesy A&E reality show….

csy
csy
3 years ago

Couldn’t help notice Iconic Global personnel are all….white.

Not that it should matter.

Or should it?

Siriusthecat
Siriusthecat
3 years ago

So they pay protection money and won’t get looted. Sounds like the mafia.

John
3 years ago

Amazing