The Fourth of July turned out to be an extremely busy night for Kent Police even beyond the hundreds of fireworks-related calls.
Officers responded to 524 calls, 292 for fireworks. They also had about a dozen emergency priority calls, which in some cases pulled officers assigned to fireworks emphasis patrols away from those duties.
Assistant Chief Derek Kammerzell ran through a list of the calls in a report Wednesday to the City Council.
The emergency priority calls included:
• Drive-by shooting witnessed by an officer
• Robbery with a gun at a gas station
• Shooting at a Shell station on the East Hill which ended up with the victims at Fourth of July Splash at Lake Meridian Park
• Fireworks-dispute related shooting on the West Hill
• Fight with 10-15 people involved at the Kiwanis Tot Lot on First Avenue – fire/aid were needed for minor injuries
• Road rage with threats with a gun near Sam’s Sports Bar that ended up at the bar, 23803 104th Ave SE
• Knife fight at the tot lot involving the same subjects from earlier and necessitated a fire/aid response for minor injuries
• Fight with 10-plus people in the neighborhood at SE 212th Street and 125th Avenue SE
• Small riot (code 2 response that calls for multiple officers) at Novak Lane (west of Central Avenue North) involving a verbal dispute over fireworks with small riot ensued upon arrival of the first officer
• Numerous misdemeanor assaults that took a minimum of three-to-five officers per call, domestic violence calls and suicidal subjects in addition to other routine calls
• Patrol and detectives responded to an infant death call that is now under investigation
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