The formation of the zone was preceded by a week of tense interactions in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that began on June 1, when protesters and police in full riot gear began to face off at a barricade police had set up near the SPD's East Precinct building.
 The SPD used aggressive dispersal tactics, including blast balls, flash bang grenades, and pepper spray.
 On June 5, Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best announced a 30-day ban on the use of tear gas.

At the request of citizens, on June 6, a group of public representatives (including four City Council-members, a King County Council-member, state Senator Joe Nguyen, and state Representative Nicole Macri) joined demonstrators on the front lines when officers again used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to control the crowd.

During the daytime on June 7, police installed sturdier barricades around the East Precinct and boarded up its windows.
 The situation further intensified that evening after 8 pm, when a demonstrator was shot while trying to slow down a vehicle being driven at excessive speed towards a crowd of 1,000 protesters on 11th Avenue and East Pine Street; the driver then exited the vehicle with a gun and walked towards the police line where he was taken into custody without further incident.
 It became known that the shooter's brother worked at the East Precinct.
  Several hours later, after police reported that protesters were throwing bottles, rocks, and fireworks, SPD resumed the use of tear gas (despite the mayor's ban), and released pepper spray and flash-bang grenades, on protesters at 11th and Pine, just after midnight on June 8.
 Over 12,000 complaints were filed about the police response to the demonstrations, and members of the Seattle City Council questioned how many weapons had in fact been thrown at the police.

Police boarded up and vacated the East Precinct in the afternoon of June 8 in an effort to de-escalate the situation and rebuild trust.
Protesters, initially suspicious of the SPD's motives, moved into the area, re-positioned the street barricades at a one-block radius from the station, and declared the area "Free Capitol Hill".
Days after the event, it remained unclear who had made the decision to retreat from the East Precinct.
Mayor Durkan latter attributed the decision to withdraw to an unnamed on-scene commander for SPD.
The formation of the zone was preceded by a week of tense interactions in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that began on June 1, when protesters and police in full riot gear began to face off at a barricade police had set up near the SPD's East Precinct building.  The SPD used aggressive dispersal tactics, including blast balls, flash bang grenades, and pepper spray.  On June 5, Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best announced a 30-day ban on the use of tear gas.
At the request of citizens, on June 6, a group of public representatives (including four City Council-members, a King County Council-member, state Senator Joe Nguyen, and state Representative Nicole Macri) joined demonstrators on the front lines when officers again used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to control the crowd.
During the daytime on June 7, police installed sturdier barricades around the East Precinct and boarded up its windows.  The situation further intensified that evening after 8 pm, when a demonstrator was shot while trying to slow down a vehicle being driven at excessive speed towards a crowd of 1,000 protesters on 11th Avenue and East Pine Street; the driver then exited the vehicle with a gun and walked towards the police line where he was taken into custody without further incident.  It became known that the shooter's brother worked at the East Precinct.   Several hours later, after police reported that protesters were throwing bottles, rocks, and fireworks, SPD resumed the use of tear gas (despite the mayor's ban), and released pepper spray and flash-bang grenades, on protesters at 11th and Pine, just after midnight on June 8.  Over 12,000 complaints were filed about the police response to the demonstrations, and members of the Seattle City Council questioned how many weapons had in fact been thrown at the police.
Police boarded up and vacated the East Precinct in the afternoon of June 8 in an effort to de-escalate the situation and rebuild trust. Protesters, initially suspicious of the SPD's motives, moved into the area, re-positioned the street barricades at a one-block radius from the station, and declared the area "Free Capitol Hill". Days after the event, it remained unclear who had made the decision to retreat from the East Precinct. Mayor Durkan latter attributed the decision to withdraw to an unnamed on-scene commander for SPD.
Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone