(The Center Square) - Spokane City Council members questioned Police Ombuds Bart Logue on Sept. 17 about his office’s review of the Spokane Police Department’s response to a June 2025 protest outside a federal immigration facility, bringing renewed attention to the report’s 26 recommendations and how SPD may respond to them.
The Office of the Police Ombuds released its closing report in July after reviewing the June 11, 2025, protest at and around the federal immigration facility on West Cataldo Avenue.
The protest grew into a large, multi-agency response involving SPD, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and federal personnel. Thirty people were arrested, and police used smoke, pepper-based irritants, pepper balls, 40mm rounds, bean bag rounds and other less-lethal tools.
During the Sept. 17 council presentation, Logue said SPD initially did not agree to clear protesters simply because federal immigration officials requested assistance.
“I think it's very important that SPD did not immediately agree to clear the crowd just because ICE called them on the phone,” Logue said. “And I think that was the right answer and I was pretty clear about that in the report.”
Logue said SPD’s incident commander reviewed Washington law, consulted department leadership and sought guidance from the city attorney before deciding how police could respond.
As the protest continued, however, blocked exits, obstructed vehicles and other public-safety concerns led the command to determine SPD had a separate local reason to intervene.
“I think that early caution was very appropriate,” Logue said.
He said that change in mission was a key point in the incident because the public did not necessarily see the legal analysis behind the change.
“A local public safety rationale does not erase the public experience. Likewise, public anger does not erase SPD's responsibility to address local safety concerns,” Logue said.
The report found protesters described the police response as confusing and frightening, with concerns about dispersal orders, communication, force and whether people could safely leave the area. The OPO also identified issues involving documentation, mutual aid, medical planning and crowd-management policies.
Logue told council members the report does not conclude individual officers violated policy or should face discipline. He said collective bargaining restrictions limit what the OPO can say about individual conduct, but allow the office to identify broader policy and training concerns.
The report recommends changes including an immigration-enforcement response protocol, clearer mission statements during major protests, expanded dialogue and communication plans, standardized dispersal orders, additional force documentation and a full after-action review that includes both command and field perspectives.
Councilmember Michael Cathcart said he believes there are likely good recommendations in the report but has a “fundamental disagreement with the angles and perspectives” used in reviewing the incident.
Cathcart said he questions whether SPD already had authority to enforce local laws when the protest began.
“This thing began with people in the roadway and we have local rules on books that it's the job of police to do so,” Cathcart said in an interview with The Center Square.
He also questioned whether the response would have been viewed differently if protesters had gathered outside City Hall instead of an immigration facility.
“We’re talking about a law enforcement officer being put in harm’s way, held against their will,” Cathcart said.
Cathcart said he believes the report’s discussion of the Keep Washington Working Act is inaccurate and said the political nature of immigration issues has affected how protests surrounding ICE are viewed.
He also defended Logue’s role in the review, saying the ombuds were limited by the collective bargaining agreement.
“Bart does a really good job in the role,” Cathcart said. “In this case, he's doing the review in the manner he is allowed to do them.”
Commissioner Amy McColm raised another concern during the discussion, saying she has heard Spokane police officers express disrespect toward Washington laws.
“This issue is talked about all the time by Spokane police department officers,” McColm said. “I have heard so much disrespect for Washington laws and the fact that they are saying it to a community member that feels like a political statement, that does not feel like a law enforcement statement and that concerns me.”
Logue said the report is intended to address systemic issues rather than determine whether individual officers acted properly. The OPO’s required disclosures state that the report represents the office’s perspective and recommendations, not an official city determination of what occurred.
