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Seven arrested at D-4 station during protest; city councilor, police commissioner clash on how cops were outfitted
By adamg on Sat, 05/30/2020 - 6:36pm
Boston Police report arresting seven people - five from out of town - on various charges outside the District D-4 police station yesterday afternoon, and say four officers were injured, one badly enough to require hospitalization.
The arrests came during a confrontation that erupted after the bulk of George Floyd protesters had left the station on a march from Peters Park to Nubian Square, during which police used pepper spray on some protesters, some of whom may have been attempting to spray paint messages on the side of the station.
Two of the people, both from Boston, were charged with, among other things, promotion of anarchy and incitement to riot; a Lowell man was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a police officer.
City Councilor Andrea Campbell (Dorchester), who chairs the council's Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, tweeted last night:
If Boston is going to strengthen community policing & trust w/ residents, police should not show up in riot gear to a demonstration where folks are legally exercising their right to voice justifiable anger about excessive/lethal force by police against unarmed, nonviolent people.
Police Commissioner William Gross responded this morning:
Councilor Campbell.The officers after being attacked by objects thrown at them by violent protestors,were ordered to put on protective helmets,not riot gear. The Officers were in uniform not riot gear. Four Officers,your constituents,were injured. One hospitalized.Ty for caring.
Campbell replied:
Commissioner I continue to make myself available to collaborate in making our community safer for everybody, and that includes law enforcement!
In addition to the seven people arrested at D-4, an eighth person will be summonsed to court on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest, according to police, who add that three other people were arrested during a protest outside the District B-2 station in Roxbury - including a teenager charged with being delinquent for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and a man charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and cocaine.
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Comments
Great response
This is a fantastic response in many ways. Thank you, Commissioner Gross and stay safe, Boston Police Department.
Really
Based on what’s happening across the county with violent rioting, should they have showed up with pool noodles?
You want to minimize the violence, arrest every white dude in all black clothing or with a man bun.
Problem solved.
Twitter sucks
Dear Councilor and Dear Commisioner. Please pick up the phone and talk to each other instead of this posturing on twitter
Thank you
Boston resident.
Hope video is available for these arrests
Hard to trust that LE arrests of protesters were made in good faith at the moment.... Campbell was right in what she said.
The commissioner's response is typical: the riot gear vs helmets nuance is missing the point at best and a poor attempt at sophistry at worst. Any cops showing up to an otherwise (assumedly) peaceful protest wearing protective gear has the same net effect of telling the protesters that they are expecting violence which only stokes the flames. I would argue that even large numbers of police showing up at a protest would have this effect esp. given the current context.
Oh... and a 'promotion of anarchy' charge??? That's the most bullshit charge if I've ever heard one....
So Fortunate
We are so fortunate to have Mr Gross as a leader in the City of Boston. Just like Mr Evans before him they truly care about the City and the people and speak the truth.
You should try the job out
You should try the job out for an hour or two. When your twitching in a hospital bed because you thought you didn't need a helment, or licking your third degree burns because someone from a few towns away thought tossing molotov cocktails would be hip, all we'll be able to say is, I told you so. No, I'm not a cop.
Personally, I think giving the cops the resources they need to sort out the bad apples using a protest as an excuse to riot would ensure fewer people and businesses are hurt. Unfortunately it takes force to bring a violent segment of a crowd under control. Rioters don't show up at a police station or Target with matches to talk to the mayor about change.
Which brings me to, if your going to loot a place, why pick Target.
Don’t believe it...
I don’t believe it. My Union takes even the most minor injuries incredibly seriously. I trip on stairs and report it, I’m going to go hospital.
My union is also not prone to the histrionics, victimization complex, and open racism of the Patrolman’s Union. Like all things from these thugs, we will never get any details.
What I saw in pictures showed much more violence coming from police than the other way around. Hurt egos and masculinity aside.
That said it’s hard to be confronted with people who want you to be accountable for your actions when you get to hide behind your badge and expect unearned respect. I’m hard pressed to think of any other job where behavior like we have seen since Rodney King is remotely acceptable.
Wait
Campbell basically invented a situation (police in riot gear) that didn't exist. The cops didn't start out wearing the helmets because the BPD knows that it is a sure fire way for things to escalate. That they put helmets on when the other side started to get violent was the safe thing to do. As we've seen this week, cops in other cities do a whole lot worse to people for a whole lot less, which is a bad thing.
Perhaps...
I like to think BPD is better than the rest of the country's police force but there's a lot of trust to be earned. Especially given the propensity of fellow police or the union to cover for each other.
To that end, body camera footage would be welcome - then neither of us would have to wonder whether what the commissioner or Campbell says reflects the truth.
Ah yes
Remember, just because it happens in other places and cops get away with it or people make excuses for it, it will never happen here and our cops are good guys who only do the right thing and in the rare case that anything bad happens its just because of a few bad apples (who were probably provoked anyway so the people who got assaulted must have deserved it).
If the worst thing she can
If the worst thing she can say about the police officers is their choice of gear, I'd say they did a great job.
Also, blaming someone for getting attacked due to their choice of clothing is a bad idea, for obvious reasons.
I miss Evans
Sigh
I agree with Commissioner Gross
I can see why so many people are now urging Willie Gross to run for Mayor. At least someone in local government has integrity. As a member of the City Council, one of the few meaningful duties is to vote on the city budget. I look forward to Councilor Campbell making the motion to cut the line item for police protective gear. It would probably pass with this crowd.
This crowd..
I assume you're referring to the readers/posters on uhub?
Yet... you... keep coming back...
maybe one day racism will end but not likely
Unless you've faced racism by the police and have to be in fear daily of just driving while black you'll never understand. Also we have seen cops on video and with body cams on still committing murders. The problem is the black community has some weird dream that one day White America will actually care about our strife or struggles. Slavery was replaced by systematic and systemic oppression. Still to this day we gotta lie and say its getting better. Bullshit. One day when all Americans actually give a damn about what all Americans go through whether we are the same race or not. Until then there will also be the disconnect. Also they started looting to do something because when we kneel its a problem when we protest its a problem, when we March peacefully its an issue. People forget MLK and all his followers got dogs sicked on them and beaten and battered for WANTING PEACE & EQUALITY.
Punching up
He thinks he's punching up, or speaking truth to power, or maybe being 'edgy' by daring to put right-wing views on the site.
None of the above, of course.
LOLZ
I have never, ever, heard anyone mention Gross for mayor. And I like the guy.
Another reason why Campbell is running for election
She has to stop attacking every public official in an attempt to boost her own position before announcing she's running for Mayor.
You can turn the public against city agencies now, but that's not going to work out well for you if you actually win the election and now you're responsible for turning the public opinion around.
I'm just glad they're tackling extremely difficult problems
During a time of unprecedented civil unrest, on a semi-public website like bickering 13yr old children seeking "Likes".
Let's me know they should BOTH be publicly shamed and forced to resign.
Both of them need to grow up and get the hell of social media and find new gigs.
Andrea just trying to get in
Andrea just trying to get in on the action She is never really...present. She is lame naive and out of touch.