Hollow Point Bullets

In November 1974, City Council was informed by the Mayor that the Chief of Police changed the official ammunition of the Seattle Police Department to something called "hollow point bullets." An uproar ensued and City Councilmembers Sam Smith and Randy Revelle held public hearings to accommodate the overwhelming public response. They wrote a letter to Mayor Uhlman describing their concerns, which centered around the authorization of these bullets without consultation with the Council. The hearings revealed an underlying tension between the Police Department and minorities and gave voice to those not documented elsewhere in the Archives.

The meeting was rowdy and diverse. Here are some voices from that hearing.

• Robert Hanson, Police Chief


• Jonathan Hake, Group Health physician


• Judith Freel, Radical Women


• Roberto Maestas, El Centro de la Raza


• Samuel McKinney, Pastor, Mt. Zion Baptist Church

Citation: Public Comment at Seattle City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting, January 7, 1975. Event ID 2700, Seattle City Council Legislative Department Audio Recordings, 4601-03.

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