The command “move back, move back” thundered for the last time Friday afternoon, and hundreds of delighted police officers answered it with hearty laughter.
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He said most of the arrests were made in the aftermath and were not because of the flag-burning. And the department has a troubled history when it comes to restraint and the use of force against minorities.
Police reported a total of 24 arrests during the four-day convention that ended Thursday night, a surprisingly low number that can be attributed to a massive police presence and to safety concerns that discouraged protesters and visitors from coming to Cleveland this week.
A protester yells as a police officer stands by in Public Square on Thursday, July 21, 2016, in Cleveland, during the final day of the Republican convention. In the run-up to the convention, some law enforcement authorities had feared hundreds of arrests every day.
But Williams says work continues in wrapping up a busy week in Cleveland.
There were tense moments as protesters filled the downtown Public Square, but most people seemed to get along.
In 2012, Cleveland police killed two unarmed black people in a 137-bullet barrage after a vehicle chase that began when officers mistook engine backfire for gunshots.
South Carolina State Troopers relayed unconfirmed information to the Cleveland police that they had been told someone in the crowd gathered outside the Quicken Loans Arena was trying to poke officers with syringes Thursday, according to Cleveland.com. And he spent three hours riding with bicycle officers on patrol that night. Williams said burning an American flag is not a crime and those involved were not arrested for that reason. The bicycle officers have literally kept protesters in line, turning their bikes sideways to keep opposing protest groups apart.
At one point, Chief Williams joined a prayer circle.
Police said a Georgia state trooper was treated for skin irritation after saying he feel felt burning or numbness when he came into contact with one of the stickers that had been circulating during protests in the square.
“I like him because he’s an active chief”, the teenager said. “He comes out of the office and he talks to the people”.
“We knew that they would go in the street when they didn’t have a permit, and we knew that we would allow them to do it”, Jackson said. Not like the other people who stay in the office.
While the demonstrations have been calmer than expected, police have still been busy dealing with protesters.
Jesse Gonzalez, 26, of Lakewood, Ohio, carried a rifle on the Public Square while wearing a camouflage-style “Make America Great Again” hat. Guns, however, weren’t banned as OH is an open-carry state.
“It really puts us in a different light with a different image”, the mayor said at a news briefing.
Gonzalez said he has had “really, really super-friendly conversations” with officers inquiring about the type of weapon he has.
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Lindsay Blanton, founder and CEO of Broadcastify, an internet service that provides live feeds of police radio, said the company relies on individuals with scanners connected to their computers.
