Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Seattle Times Pictures of the Year 2010

July 21: Seattle Police Sgt. Brian Kraus moves in with pepper spray to stop a fight at First Avenue and Bell Street early on the morning of July 17. The rowdy, sometimes violent bar scene in Belltown has raised concerns about the neighborhood. "Reporter Sara Jean Green and I were on assignment to cover the Belltown violence problem with Seattle Police. I knew that if we were going to get a storytelling photo it would be at closing time, 2 a.m. We worked our way down Second Avenue, watching folks file out of the clubs and bars. I kept my eye on Sgt. Kraus of the bike patrol, knowing he would notice the first signs of trouble. People across the street were squaring off; Kraus started to pedal, and I ran after him, taking pictures all the way. This shot was just before Kraus used the pepper spray. I shot many other frames of the arrests and first-aid to the hurt people, but this was the telling moment." - Jim Bates