Inauguration Day protests spur for study of police actions
Source: Associated Press
Inauguration Day protests spur for study of police actions
Jessica Gresko, The Associated Press Updated 2:20 pm, Monday, February 27,
WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia's police department should appoint an independent consultant to examine the actions of police on Inauguration Day, when more than 200 people were arrested and charged with rioting, the city's Police Complaints Board said in a report Monday.
The recommendation was included in one of two reports released by the office that oversees police complaints and monitors police interaction with protesters. The first report covered Inauguration Day, when self-described anti-capitalists broke windows and set fire to a limousine, while the second report covered the Women's March on Washington, the day after the inauguration.
The report on Inauguration Day concludes that in many instances Metropolitan Police Department officers "conducted activities in a constitutional manner," but says several instances "cause concern and raise questions." Among the concerns were issues with arrest procedures and the use of non-lethal weapons like pepper spray and "sting balls."
The report says that when protests turn violent, standard operating procedure requires police to give warnings for people to disperse before arrests begin. The report says there's no indication any warnings were given before police corralled a large group that was later arrested.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Inauguration-Day-protests-spur-for-study-of-10962963.php
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