Raleigh police chief explains why tear gas was used on protestors

"We had about two hours of peaceful protesting," Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said at a Sunday morning press conference. "Everything after that was anarchy."
Posted 5/31/2020, 10:14:00 PM Updated 5/31/2020, 10:24:42 PM

THIS LAST LOOK AT THIS CROWD.

THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY HOPE

IT STAYS THAT WAY.

THIS IS WHAT'S NOT OUR

COMMUNITY.

THE COMMUNITY IS WHAT HAPPENED

TODAY.

THIS IS ENTERING ANY MELEE LAST

NIGHT THIS IS JOB DAMAGE AND

CARDIAC ISSUES.

OF INJURIES TO BY POLICE

OFFICERS.

12 PEOPLE ARRESTED.

POLICE DID NOT ESCALATE THAT

UNTIL THEY WERE ATTACKED THEY

TALKED ABOUT THOSE INJURIES

THEY SAY, THAT THEY WERE VERY

RESTRAINED IN THEIR RESPONSE.

LET'S LISTEN TO HER DESCRIPTION

AS THEY HAVE HAPPENED.

>> PEACEFUL PROTEST ARE ON THE

ASSEMBLY FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS.

AND, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

WELL, IN THAT GROUP.

THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE.

THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE

COURTHOUSE STEPS.

AND, WHEN THEY DID, THEY WENT

DOWN THE STREET.

DOWN DAVIE STREET.

TO THE SHERIFF AS WELL.

WHEN THEY GOT THEM AT THE

STREET.

AND YOU WILL SEE IT FROM YOUR

FOOTAGE.

THEY CHARGED INTO THE SALLY

PORT.

OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

INTO THAT AND McDOWELL STREET.

AND WHEN THEY GOT UP THERE,

THEY WERE MET WITH THE TACTICAL

TEAM FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

THEY WERE FORCING THEIR WAY IN.

AND, THEY DEPLOYED GAS.

WHEN THEY WERE ABLE TO PUSH

THEM FAR ENOUGH DOWN.

THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD

THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO

ARE TELLING THEM TO PUSH BACK

IN THE CROWD AS WELL.

TELLING THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM

THE BUILDING.

AND, PEOPLE KEPT GOING.

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPLOYED

SMOKE INITIATIVES.

WITH THE HOPES THAT WE CAN GET

OUR OFFICERS WHO WERE ON THE

OTHER SIDE OF THAT SAFELY.

THOSE OFFICERS DID NOT HAVE

TACTICAL GEAR ON BECAUSE, THEY

WAS PROVIDING SAFE PERIMETER

FOR THOSE WHO ARE WALKING IN

THE PROTEST.

AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY

WENT OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE,

AND THEY WERE BASICALLY

BARRICADED FOR LACK OF A BETTER

WAY OF PUTTING IT.

SO WHEN THIS DID NOT BENEFIT

ANYONE, AND THEY DIDN'T MOVE

BACK, THEN YOU KNOW THIS WAS

GASSED.

BECAUSE, WE HAVE TO GET THOSE

OFFICERS TO SAFETY.

>> THE CHIEF SAID SHE CERTAINLY

UNDERSTANDS BEING A BLACK WOMAN

IN AMERICA.

AND WHAT SOME OF THE ISSUES

ARE.

AND, THIS IS WHAT MAKING

LESSONS TO LEARN FROM.

THIS IS HOW TO BEHAVE PROPERLY

IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS AND

CERTAINLY HARASSED.

SHE DID SAY HER OFFICERS ARE

HIT WITH STONES AND PAVERS AND

SHE SAID YOU CAN'T BRING IN THE