fact checking police supt david bro n on august 15

Fact-Checking Police Supt. David Brown on August 15

How accurate were the CPD superintendent’s assertions about the downtown protest?

On August 15—days after announcing a new and more aggressive tactical posture toward protesters downtown—Chicago police in riot gear faced off with demonstrators who wanted to defund CPD and abolish ICE at the intersection of Michigan and Wacker.

The bells of the DuSable Bridge rang out nonstop. Raised bridges prevented the march, which had originated near the Bean in Millenium Park, from making its way farther north toward the Magnificent Mile; a line of riot police blocked the demonstration from turning east toward Lake Shore Drive.

BY JIM DALEY AND JASON SCHUMER

At some point, the demonstrators assumed a defensive stance toward police, shielding themselves with umbrellas and standing behind a line of bicycles. It’s unclear what, precisely, precipitated the skirmish that followed.

Protesters and independent journalists shared videos in real time on social media that showed police grabbing umbrellas and bikes from protesters, and later on, chasing them down Michigan Ave., blocking their ability to leave (a practice commonly referred to as “kettling”) and beating demonstrators in alleys.

The following Monday, CPD released an edited video on social media that included captions describing the police’s version of the events.

In press conferences held the evening of August 15 and again on August 17, Superintendent David Brown presented the department’s view of the confrontation. Brown blamed the violence on “agitators” who “hijacked” the otherwise peaceful protest by opening umbrellas and hurling “projectiles” at officers.

While defending the police’s actions, Brown made several statements that strayed from the facts. The Weekly reviewed dozens of videos and photographs, some never before published, and collected eyewitness accounts from demonstrators. We compared the evidence we collected as well as CPD’s own video to what Brown said at the two press conferences and factchecked his statements, providing context and explanation. ¬

Jim Daley is the Weekly’s politics editor and Jason Schumer is managing director.

“Multiple agitators hijacked this peaceful protest. This group deployed large black umbrellas, changed their appearance, and began pushing our officers and eventually assaulting them.” (8/15)

This is misleading. The assertion that agitators hijacked the protest assumes there was an organized, successful effort by a group of violent conspirators. The Weekly could find no evidence that was the case on August 15. Nearly a dozen protesters provided eyewitness accounts to the Weekly that flatly contradict CPD claims that demonstrators initiated the conflict. Multiple witnesses said, backed by video footage, that police began taking umbrellas and bicycles from protesters first.

What little evidence CPD provided to support their assertion—namely, surveillance video showing some protesters donning ponchos, which CPD claims the “agitators” did in order to signal one another who would lead the violence—is inconclusive at best. The Weekly obtained audio from a CPD radio scanner in which police can be heard claiming that bottles were being thrown at the same time protesters were donning gas masks and opening umbrellas. The CPD’s own video seems to contradict the timing of those claims.

One possible reason protesters may have had to open umbrellas and put on ponchos could be as makeshift protection against anticipated chemical agents from police. Another could be that it was beginning to rain.

“To protect the peaceful protesters as well as their fellow officers, our officers responded proportionately to get the situation under control.” (8/15)

This is inconclusive. To assert that officers “responded proportionately” carries with it the implication that they were provoked, or that protesters started the fight. Several witnesses independently told the Weekly that police assumed an aggressive stance from the very beginning of the confrontation, and that police attacked protesters, unprovoked. Some of the earliest video evidence the Weekly was able to obtain shows police officers brandishing their batons before any confrontation occurred. It’s unclear how (or from whom) deploying OC spray would have protected peaceful protesters in the crowd. At what point the situation was “under control,” if it ever was, is also open to debate.

“Seventeen officers were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries due to being assaulted, and maced, by skateboards, bottles, bicycles and other projectiles.” (8/15)

This is partially true. Some officers did seek medical treatment for injuries. Some protesters did throw objects at police during the upheaval. Multiple protesters were injured by police, too.

Videos we reviewed show protesters standing behind their bicycles in a single line in front of the crowd before any escalation occurs. None of the videos we reviewed show protesters charging at officers with bicycles or mace, although several show police grabbing bikes and tossing them behind the police line. One eyewitness told the Weekly that police were striking cyclists’ hands to force them to let go of their bikes.

A few videos, including the one CPD released, show improvised objects (including sticks and plastic water bottles) being thrown at police after police charged into the crowd with batons.

“Number one, the crowd moved and we just tried to trail along to the point where it became confrontational, when they began assaulting our officers is when we moved the crowd and eventually it dissipated.” (8/15)

This is false. Officers chased demonstrators. Multiple videos the Weekly reviewed show a formation of police advancing south on Michigan Ave. toward the demonstration, first at

BY MADISON MULLER

a walk and then at a brisk jog. Five witnesses independently told the Weekly that police chased them down and attacked protesters who did not immediately disperse. The crowd “dissipated” only after police searched their bags and allowed them to leave.

“A lot of officers were hit with, uh...one particular one caught on video that we’ll be releasing tomorrow is, an officer was just beat in the head with a skateboard, repeatedly.” (8/15)

This is partially true. The video CPD released appears to show one protester swinging a skateboard at a helmeted officer. However, the video also shows that the confrontation appeared to have began when multiple police charged into the crowd to attack other protesters. When the officers retreated, no one followed or attempted to continue

the confrontation.

“Demonstrators had mace as well.” (8/15)

This is unsubstantiated. None of the videos we reviewed, including the one CPD released, show any demonstrators using mace. None of the arrest charges we reviewed, including the four made for “battery on a peace officer,” appear to be for use of chemical irritants, either.