As I mentioned in an earlier post, Chris Magnus, the police chief in Richmond, California stood with protesters on Tuesday holding a sign that said #BlackLivesMatter. Here's the photo. Magnus has been credited with huge reductions in crime and a smart approach to political demonstrations.

"I've never seen anything like it, not in Richmond, not anywhere," longtime resident Mary Square, a bystander, told the Bay Area News Group. "All these police, and the police chief, holding signs calling for an end to police violence... I'm going to tell my kids."

This evening, I asked Seattle police chief Kathleen O'Toole whether we might see her holding a #BlackLivesMatter sign at any upcoming protests. There are three scheduled for this weekend: one at Garfield High School tomorrow, another at UW's Red Square, and a third at Sunday's Seahawks game.

"I don't think it's appropriate to take a political position as a police chief," O'Toole replied. Does saying "Black lives matter" represent taking a political position, though? "I think being a demonstrator or holding a sign could be taking a political position," she said. "Everybody's life matters, as far as I'm concerned."

O'Toole stressed that she's a "diehard" proponent of the First Amendment and that anyone who believes her police department has acted inappropriately in their response to the protests should file a complaint with the Office of Professional Accountability. "We don't want to control people, we don't want to spy on people," she said.

The vast majority of protesters, she added, have "expressed their opinions in a powerful and constructive way... I think we've done exceptionally well in this city [in our response]."

I followed up later, via text: "As I look over my notes, the question I'm left with is why does Richmond's chief feel he can hold a #BlackLivesMatter sign, but you can't?"

O'Toole wrote back: "We all make personal decisions on how best to demonstrate our values and express our opinions. I believe I've made it very clear in my words and actions over the course of 30+ years that ALL lives matter equally, including black lives. I've been a champion for civil rights for decades and will continue to be. I've done so by engaging with people personally, eye to eye on human level."