Jim Nelson

The team announced police officers will wear the jerseys of opposing teams this season to monitor fan behavior. SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks opened the 2025 season on Sunday with more than 68,000 fans at Lumen Field, including thousands of 49ers fans and a handful of undercover police officers disguised as supporters of the division rival. The Seahawks announced last week that plainclothes officers would wear opposing team jerseys to blend into the crowd. RELATED: There may have been more 49ers fans than Seahawks fans at the season opener The team said the effort is intended to help officers detect fans violating the stadium’s code of conduct. “It makes sense ... they've had plainclothes officers out there all the time because it’s quite the interesting gameday experience,” said KING 5 law enforcement analyst and former King County Sheriff John Urquhart. “Especially if they're going to get harassed or have some drunk coming up to them, whatever it is. It makes sense.” The team did not say how many officers are working undercover. A heavy uniformed police presence also remains in place around the stadium. “To be honest with you, I'm here every year, seven or eight games every year, and everything is safe. I don’t think we need that,” a Seahawks fan told KING 5 as he left the game. His friend, a 49ers fan, was more supportive of the move. “I think it’s good and ensures safety, if they have any problems or trouble with people,” he said. The Seahawks said officers will specifically be watching for the following behaviors: Behavior that is unruly, disruptive or illegal in natureOver-intoxication or other signs of alcohol or substance impairmentOffensive language or obscene gestures, including those related to a person’s race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, creed, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or national origin — or behavior intended to instigate, incite or encourage confrontation or physical assaultInterference with the progress of the game (including throwing objects onto the field)Failure to follow instructions from stadium personnelVerbal or physical harassment of home or opposing team fansSmoking/vaping or using tobacco or marijuana on Lumen Field propertySoliciting or selling merchandise, tickets, food or beverages on Lumen Field propertyUnauthorized entry into the field of play or other restricted areas, interfering with the progress of any game or event, attempting physical contact with an event participant, or engaging in any other disorderly conduct deemed dangerous The Seahawks encourage fans to report inappropriate behavior by texting a message to HAWK12 (429512) during home games.

The downtown waterfront and Pioneer Square have undergone major changes over the last year, leading to optimism ahead of the football season. SEATTLE — Scores of Seahawks fans lined up along Elliott Bay in Seattle on Thursday for the team's official kickoff celebration, 'Party at the Pier,' a symbolic gathering at the recently completed Waterfront Park. The gathering marks the start of the Seahawks’ 50th season, which begins Sunday, just one day after the city celebrates the completion of the $800 million, 20-acre park along Elliott Bay. The project took 15 years to complete and was key to several adjacent projects, including the Pioneer Square East-West pedestrian improvement plan. "I feel great for the Seahawks and what's happened in Seattle. It's wonderful, man... It's great for Seattle," said Mike Kendrick, a longtime fan. In other words, the Seahawks' golden anniversary coincides with major changes in the neighborhoods surrounding Lumen Field.  "2025 has been transformational and really pivotal for Pioneer Square... there's a lot of new, unique things that people haven't seen in a very long time," said Lisa Howard, executive director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square. Howard said more new businesses opened in the first quarter of 2025 than all of 2024, which has created "new experiences" for potential visitors. "It's not only game day … the other days of the week are seeing a huge uptick," she added. "The Seahawks games have just a few more people coming so there's definitely that very excited crowd on gamedays and it makes for a really exciting environment all across the neighborhood.” The hope in Pioneer Square is that the influx of visitors translates into more fans spending time in the neighborhood, rather than simply passing through. "I think it's been a while since a lot of people have been down here and they have perceptions about what they've seen on TV and that's not the reality of today," Howard said. Among the new businesses is The Hall on Occidental, a bar and restaurant steps from the stadium’s northwest corner. “It’s special, it feels exciting, and it feels like Seattle right now,” General Manager Josh Robinson told KING 5 during the preseason.

The man felt two thuds on his head within 30 seconds; the second time his Mariners hat vanished without a trace. SEATTLE — A hiker believes he was attacked by an owl while he was walking on a trail at Discovery Park in Seattle. "All the sudden, I felt like I got hit over the head by a stick or something out of nowhere," said Justin Harberg. "I turned around expecting to see a person [but] there was no one there. Then I thought maybe something fell out of a tree and hit me. I wasn't really sure so I kept walking." Harberg felt the first whack on his head around sunset. Less than a minute later, he felt another one. "This time, my hat was ripped clear off my head. It didn't just fall off. It was gone," he said. "At that point I figured I should probably get out of there; it was getting dark." Harberg posted about the incident on social media, where commenters overwhelmingly suggested he had crossed paths with a Barred Owl. "Yeah there was a lot of reaction there, a lot of people commented. The consensus was that it was probably a Barred Owl," he said. "I guess they're really common in this area of the park." The National Audubon Society says adult owls can grow up to 20 inches tall, and "can become incredibly territorial once they establish a nest—and especially when they begin rearing chicks. Barred Owls are known to chase away intruders by aggressively hooting or attacking and striking with their talons." According to Friends of Discovery Park, Barred Owls are the most common owl in the park. “I have read of a few other cases now,” Harberg said. “I’d never heard of anything like that but I guess there are other incidents here in Discovery Park where people have been attacked by owls. I don’t know if anyone has had their hat stolen.” Harberg returned to the park Wednesday for the first time since the encounter. "It feels good to be back, but I'm looking up in the trees around me," he said. "Whatever attacked me wasn't a Mariners fan. I was wearing my blue Mariners hat at the time."

The Revive in 25 worship concert at Gas Works Park was peaceful, with police on alert after previous clashes. SEATTLE — A worship concert and rally at Seattle’s Gas Works Park drew supporters and opponents Saturday. The event was part of the Revive in 25 tour, which is led by Sean Feucht, a California-based singer and preacher who rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic by organizing large “Let Us Worship” concerts in defiance of public health restrictions. The event came with added scrutiny after a similar rally at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill in May sparked clashes between a religious group and counter protesters. Twenty-three people were arrested during the May incident. Seattle police were on alert about safety concerns for the Gas Works concert. Although the event drew a crowd of opponents who say the group's organizers are anti-LGBTQ+ and spread bigotry, it remained peaceful. The Seattle Police Department’s outreach engagement team spoke with both supporters and opponents during the event. The two groups were separated by a fence. “We've been doing our best to ensure that people can move freely and speak freely,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes. “And we have had certainly a great deal of cooperation from everyone. Whether it's onlookers, whether it's people who don't agree with the message or people who do agree with the message.” The event was originally planned for Cal Anderson Park. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell permitted the event but after meeting with organizers, it was moved to Gas Works. Feucht described it all as an "invitation" from the city. "I think it's amazing how five years in a row we've come and worshipped here and this time we have the mayor inviting us and police protecting us," Feucht said. "Maybe Seattle is turning a corner." Feucht has not been shy about criticizing the LGBTQ+ community and Pride celebrations. However, he pushes back against people who say he stirs the pot and riles people up. "To people who say that, you should come to one of the events just to make sure you got the right vibe," Feucht said. Earlier Saturday afternoon, the nonprofit Lavender Rights Project held an event at Washington Hall in Seattle’s Central District. The group called it a celebration rather than a protest. Local LGBTQ+ groups and community members joined the rally to show solidarity. “We’re gonna continue to be Seattle, be gay as hell, have fun, enjoy ourselves,” said Jaelynn Scott, executive director of the Lavender Rights Project. “This will be a sanctuary in this country, in Seattle, for as long as we can keep it.”