Capitol Hill man charged in Pride baseball bat attack on ‘America First’ livestreamers

A scene from one of the livestreams that captured Saturday’s incident

Livestreamers were busy around the Hill during Pride including Friday night’s Trans Pride event in Volunteer Park

A 39-year-old Capitol Hill man has been charged with second degree assault for swinging a baseball bat after being hit by pepper spray during a tangle with livestreamers provoking crowds in the middle of the neighborhood’s Pride festivities Saturday night.

CHS reported here on the incident just north of Cal Anderson Park as groups clashed with the “America First ” livestreamers amid reports of tossed eggs and assaults against officers.

Police reported the melee under control within minutes.

Prosecutors have charged Hunter Hancock with second degree assault in the case.

“Disagreements, no matter how significant, do not justify the use of potentially deadly force,” prosecutors write.

In its records, SPD reports the livestreamers were causing discord amid the festivities.

“While people were trying to celebrate Pride a second group arrived and antagonized the group at Cal Anderson,” one report reads.

Another SPD report describes the baseball bat incident:

Police interviewed witnesses including the reported victims — two men, aged 44 and 37 — but gathered the most important evidence from video of the fight:

Prosecutors say the Capitol Hill man was ordered held on $35,000 bail. Records show he is currently free on bond. Police say Hancock has no criminal convictions in the state. He has not yet entered a plea on the charge.

The incident marred a weekend of celebration across Capitol Hill and Seattle as an estimated 300,000 people celebrated Pride.

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support