Raleigh has approved Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown's request for an independent review of her department’s response during the recent protests that turned violent downtown.
The review will dive into the police response, as well as the use of force. It will work to identify areas for improvement. The review panel will be an independent, external law enforcement expert group
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The police chief spoke at the Raleigh City Council afternoon work session, during which she announced the RPD would officially ban the use of chokeholds. Council members and Deck-Brown discussed ways the RPD could improve policies and procedures.
Some protesters have said they believe the use of tear gas was uncalled for.
At a press conference led by organizers, leaders like Zainab Baloch of Raleigh Demands Justice called out Raleigh's police chief, Cassandra Deck-Brown, saying, "The Raleigh police department violated international human rights law by throwing tear gas, shooting rubber bullets and using flash grenades on the people of Raleigh and on children."
One of the group's demands was the immediate removal of Chief Deck-Brown.
Deck-Brown and Sheriff Gerald Baker have bothexplained why the choice was made to use tear gas. Baker said that while protesters had blocked police inside a private parking garage on May 30, "They were throwing water bottles, bricks and rocks and everything else at our officers."
He said the protesters ignored warnings to disperse.
He said he stands by the decision to fire tear gas at that moment.
Now, in a letter from the Chief to the City Manager, Deck-Brown wants the City Council to approve a third-party review board made up of law enforcement experts.
In Deck-Brown's letter, she said, “The initial deployment of gas exacerbated conditions that created volatile circumstances for hours to come.”
Many people who have continued to come downtown and protest have wanted answers about the use-of-force throughout that chaotic weekend.
City council member Nicole Stewart says she, too, wants answers.
“I think what we need are the facts, and I am hopeful that this third-party review will give us exactly that. I do have concerns about why the first tear gas was thrown and I am really hopeful that we will get that information," said Stewart.
Deck-Brown said, "The purpose of my request is to provide an objective review of the department’s response to the civil unrest that took place following the incident in Minneapolis. In the interest of accountability and transparency, the RPD is committed to ensuring that we are utilizing best practices, tactics and strategies when responding to civil unrest.”
Chief Deck-Brown's letter to the City Manager:
Over the last several days, the City of Raleigh has experienced unprecedented times regarding what began as a peaceful rally and march that suddenly shifted to individuals storming the Wake County Public Safety Center and the deployment of tear gas by another law enforcement agency. This initial deployment of gas exacerbated conditions that created volatile circumstances for hours to come. While several events left our communities vulnerable, the priority of the Raleigh Police Department was and will continue to protect and to save lives. These events will forever change the individuals who live, work, play and learn in this city. As I previously mentioned during several press conferences, there are ongoing investigations into the various activities that occurred during that time. As the peaceful protests are still ongoing, the criminal investigations are ongoing as well. We are still identifying officers who were assaulted during these events. Additionally, we continue to evaluate any officer misconduct that may have occurred during this time as well.
Such complexities should afford us to take a multi-faceted approach to assessing our overall response to this most unique exercise of engagement in our city. Therefore, I am requesting your support to seek an outside source of experts who can review and assess the recent events in relation to our policy and best practices under such circumstances.
The purpose of my request is to provide an objective review of the department’s response to the civil unrest that took place following the incident in Minneapolis. In the interest of accountability and transparency, the Raleigh Police Department is committed to ensuring that we are utilizing best practices, tactics, and strategies when responding to civil unrest. The independent review and assessment will be used in conjunction with our internal review to provide a comprehensive assessment of our actions and responsiveness.
As an organization that strives to identify opportunities for improvement, it is important to embrace critical review to increase organizational integrity and public credibility. This will enable us to determine action steps based on facts and objective reasoning to maintain a safe, vibrant and healthy community.
The RPD is a progressive agency. Yet, we understand there is always room for improvement. Therefore, the Raleigh Police Department is committed to learning from this crisis and anticipate finding areas to enhance our response moving forward. Nevertheless, our agency is committed to learn from this unfortunate experience. It is important to say that these events have impacted the men and women who give so much of themselves to serving others in this city as well. Moving forward, I am confident that as a nation, we will turn all these experiences that will not only make us a better agency but a better community as well. Lastly, it is my personal belief that reform begins with us.
Raleigh City Council will review Deck-Brown's request at today’s city council meeting at 4 p.m.