Seattle reaches $600K settlement in ‘pink umbrella’ lawsuit that led to SPD captain’s demotion

SEATTLE — A settlement has been reached between the Seattle Police Department and an SPD captain who was demoted following the infamous “pink umbrella incident” during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

The Seattle Times reports the city will pay out about $600,000 after SPD Captain Steve Hirjack filed a lawsuit stating that he was blamed for an escalation in force on protesters.

A confrontation with demonstrators and police near SPD’s East Precinct escalated on June 1, 2020, after an officer grabbed a pink umbrella held by a protester.

Hirjack, who was assistant chief at the time, claimed he was unfairly blamed and demoted to captain for the incident, which resulted in a massive pay cut, but an investigation determined another police commander was at fault.

Investigators said Lt. John Brooks ordered SPD officers to use tear gas and blast balls on protesters.

The incident was caught on camera by Converge Media’s Omari Salisbury.

“What I saw was an excessive use of force on the scale that the city of Seattle has probably never seen,” said Salisbury, who captured the incident on his phone.

According to the Times, the department will have to pay back wages and other compensation to Hirjack totaling about $300,000. The rest will cover attorney fees and costs.

SPD must also promote Hirjack back to assistant chief on Mar. 1, 2024, but then he must immediately resign.

We reached out to City Attorney Ann Davison about the settlement but have not yet heard back.

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