Snohomish police chief urges protesters to remain peaceful, ‘leave weapons at home’

Newly installed Snohomish Police Chief Rob Palmer is urging protesters on both sides of the political aisle to avoid violence during demonstrations.

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“Violence in any form is counterproductive to a thoughtful and meaningful dialogue about effecting change that meets the needs of all of us, not just one side or the other,” Palmer said in a lengthy statement posted to Facebook. “Even the threat of violence, actual or perceived, creates further division, raises tensions, and erodes the community’s sense of safety.”

Palmer urged protesters to avoid damaging property and to instead “assemble peaceably and responsibly.” He also asked that “well-intentioned citizens” seeking to “provide community support or security in the face of a serious threat” avoid bringing weapons to protests.

“If you hear of a planned protest in the city of Snohomish, even one with a credible threat of violence, please leave your weapons at home or safely and legally stored out of sight, but please don’t open carry on the streets as we have seen,” he said. “It doesn’t make my job, or the job of the dedicated officers in Snohomish any easier.”

Palmer was made Snohomish’s police chief over the summer, after an incident leading to accusations that then-chief Keith Rogers hadn’t taken the threat of violent far-right armed demonstrators seriously.

That incident occurred in late May, when hundreds of armed residents took to the streets in Snohomish, with at least one brandishing a Confederate flag flown from the back of a pickup truck. They were reportedly drawn out by rumors that Antifa activists were planning to mobilize in the city. Despite that threat never materializing, violence still ensued, with members of the armed group caught on video punching and choking demonstrators participating in a separate protest against police misconduct.

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Rogers took criticism at the time for describing the mood of the incident as “festive,” and was subsequently reassigned to a new role within the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department.

Palmer hopes to have any future protests in the days and weeks ahead take on a spirit of “cooperation and understanding that every American is equally entitled to,” and for protesters — regardless of their cause — to “please do everything you can to keep Snohomish safe, welcoming, racism free and to work with me as we navigate these challenging times as a community.”

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