Two weeks ago, in the city of Oakland, Calif., an abandoned building presented police with a predicament. Inside was a fringe group of Occupy protesters, described as “anarchists and provocateurs” after hurling objects at police who reciprocated with tear gas and beanbags.
On Sunday, Chapel Hill faced a similar situation — but responded with heavier arms than tear gas. Without any sign of hostility beyond chants and rooftop guards, they raided the former Yates Motor Company building at 419 W. Franklin St., armed with assault-style rifles. It was an overreaction, and not just by Chapel Hill’s standards.
Chris Blue, chief of the Chapel Hill Police Department, said repeatedly in a news conference Monday that officers were unsure what was happening behind the building’s covered windows but were concerned that the group posed a threat. After attempting to contact the group Saturday evening, police were rebuffed by a masked, chanting crowd. For the next 18 hours, officers watched the building but made no additional attempt to contact the group.
Had they done so, police might have realized that the group was essentially harmless before they raided the building, before they brandished assault weapons, pointed them in the faces of protesters, arrested seven people and detained many others, including two journalists. Everyone was eventually let go. No one was armed.
Granted, the group broke the law and warranted a police response. Police were placed in a difficult position, as they had to consider their own safety and an appropriate response based on little information.
But with all the noise and dissent at the news conference, it was obvious that the police did not do enough to peacefully mediate the situation. It was clear that police made themselves look like the enemy compared to the severity of the group’s crime. The operation showed a lack of planning and understanding of exactly what was going on. At the very least, more contact could have given police a better sense of what danger was involved so they could react appropriately.
The department should take this incident and make every effort to show that it values communication and mediation before hostile action.
