Seattle police use of pepper spray criticised

Seattle City Council members sharply criticized Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best after police used flash-bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters a day after Durkan and Best said they were trying to de-escalate tensions.

Authorities said rocks, bottles and explosives were thrown at officers in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood Saturday night. Police said via Twitter that several officers were injured by improvised explosives. 

The mayhem in the Capitol Hill neighborhood came on the ninth consecutive day of George Floyd protests in the city. It followed a large, peaceful demonstration earlier.

It also came a day after Durkan and Best imposed a 30-day moratorium on the department's use of one kind of tear gas.