‘Black Lives Matter’ leader accused of assaulting Seattle police officer

A leader in the “Black Lives Matter” movement appeared in a King County courtroom Tuesday, accused of felony assault against two different Seattle police officers during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day protest.

Miles Partman, better known by the nickname Mohawk Kuzma, was arrested near Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street on Monday afternoon after police say he pushed a sergeant and tried to hit another officer in the head with a closed umbrella.

“The defendant ran towards an officer who was down lying on the ground as the result of a separate assault,” King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brandy Gevers told a judge. “The officer had to move his head in an attempt to avoid being struck by that umbrella. (Partman) took, again, a second swing at the officer with that closed umbrella.”

Gevers asked Judge Marcine Anderson to set bail at $20,000, arguing that Partman posed a danger to the community. Instead, Judge Anderson set bail at $1,500, noting Partman’s lack of a criminal history.

Partman was one of 19 people arrested during Monday’s protest, during which demonstrators chained themselves across Highway 99 and blocked on-ramps onto Interstate 5 at Mercer Street.

Another man arrested for felony assault on a police officer also appeared in court on Tuesday.

The 44-year-old is accused of pushing against a line of bicycle officers; causing one to fall to the ground and suffer an ankle injury that required emergency care.

Prosecutors asked that the man, who has not been charged, be ordered held on $15,000 bail. Despite injury to the officer, Judge Anderson ordered the man released without bail.

So far, two other individuals arrested during Monday’s protests have been charged with misdemeanors related to blocking traffic.

Misdemeanor charges against several others are pending.