Brockton Enterprise
“Not only was the action of the individual officers troublesome, but the policy that they operated under also invited that type of egregious behavior,” Congressman Stephen Lynch said at a Wednesday press conference convened by Brockton’s mayor.
BROCKTON – The Plymouth County district attorney and the city’s police chief have called George Floyd’s death a murder, though politicians at an afternoon press conference Wednesday sought to distance local law enforcement from the allegations of brutality levied against departments across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Mayor Robert Sullivan spoke first at the latest of several press conferences following Tuesday night’s protests, which turned chaotic after a group began to clash violently with officers outside police headquarters. Some protesters hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at police, who threw tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets in return, as other protesters tried to calm the nerves of their fellow protesters, many of whom had begun the night at a city-sanctioned peace rally organized by black activists at a local school.
“I took a knee when I started that night, saying, ‘Mr. George Floyd, we can’t forget that name,’” Sullivan said.
But he criticized the factions of protesters that aimed insults and projectiles at police during a second, separate demonstration downtown, which some protesters say escalated after officers declined their requests to kneel in protest against injustices to Americans of color.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Congressman Stephen Lynch drew a line between the Brockton Police Department and the brutality inflicted on George Floyd, who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an attempted arrest.
“Not only was the action of the individual officers troublesome, but the policy that they operated under also invited that type of egregious behavior,” Lynch said, adding later, “What I see in the use of force policy in Minneapolis is not what we have here in Brockton.”
City Councilor Jack Lally made similar remarks. “What happened in Minneapolis is wrong,” he said, “but our police officers in the city of Brockton do a phenomenal job. We do not have the problems that are encountered in other areas and we’re very lucky for that.”
Though organizers of recent protests have focused public attention on deaths in other police jurisdictions, Manny Daphnis, a local pastor, said he and other religious leaders are using the political climate to call for a community-led review of the Brockton Police Department’s use of force policy.
Police Chief Emanuel Gomes said at Wednesday’s press conference that he remains committed to his promise to host a series of public meetings where he will listen to the policy reviews offered by community members.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz underscored a point made by several politicians who said that protesters who participate in violence or vandalism do not belong in Brockton.
“We will prosecute you and put you where you belong,” Cruz said.
Three protesters were arrested during Tuesday night’s protest. Asked if investigations have been opened into any other crimes committed during the protests, Cruz responded, “There’s investigations into everything.”
Staff writer Ben Berke can be reached at bberke@enterprisenews.com
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