SPD is infamously brutal [1]. They just don't give a f** about actually helping people, just destroying homeless encampments and covering their badges at protests.
Source: Lived here for 5 years and have never seen an SPD officer do anything helpful or solve any crime, but have seen them be brutal at multiple protests. My wife literally saw someone be set on fire at a local park, but I never saw a cop there until they decided to sweep a homeless encampment a year and a half later.
What are the police supposed to do in this situation? If you let them protest unconstrained they will vandalize and loot stores, not to mention block traffic. If you tell them to disperse, they won't. If you try to politely move them they will resist. Seems like tear gas and moderate physical force is completely warranted.
I agree with you that the police are useless in terms of stopping or punishing most crime though.
I agree with you that the police are useless in terms of stopping or punishing most crime though.