Three people were taken into custody in the middle of a loud and otherwise peaceful protest outside the Rome Police station on North James Street Friday evening.
Two of the people said they were charged with fiddling with the station’s outdoor sprinkler system, which was still on when protesters arrived, watering the front sidewalk and front lawn. The third person said she was charged with obstructing one of the other arrests.
The protest — which saw about 50 men, women and children marching through downtown Rome — was being held to raise awareness against police brutality, which the protesters said they believe the Rome Police used while dispersing a large crowd on Guyer Field Thursday afternoon.
When reached this morning for comment, Police Chief Kevin C. Beach said he had not yet been fully briefed on the protest and arrests and he declined to comment until a later time.
Beach did say that he believed his officers “remained very professional” during the incident at Guyer Field on Thursday.
On Thursday, police officials said several fights broke out around a football game on Guyer Field on Laurel Street. Police said a crowd of about 200 people was gathered in the area, and police had to request back-up from the Sheriff’s Office and state police to help stop the fights and disperse the large crowd.
Police said an 18-year-old from Utica was charged with disorderly conduct for fighting, and five other juveniles were detained but not charged. The incident remains under investigation and police said charges are still possible.
“The officers were trying to get people to leave. They walked around, very calmly, very professionally, trying to get people to leave,” Beach said about the incident.
In response to the officers, Beach said the juveniles at the scene started hurling profanities and insults, as well as making threats. Beach said one juvenile spit in the face of a sergeant. The chief said the abuse lasted about 30 minutes while the officers worked to disperse the crowd, detaining some of the teens. He added that some teens were “trying to do the right thing” by getting others to leave.
“I think that the officers under these circumstances, a very chaotic scene…they should not have to tolerate that type of behavior,” Beach stated, calling the actions of the juveniles toward the officers “disgusting.”
“There seems to be no respect for police anymore,” Beach stated.
On Friday afternoon, Rome Mayor Jacqueline M. Izzo and Common Council President Stephanie Viscelli released a statement decrying both the fact that no one involved with the organized football game had obtained a permit from the city, and that the crowd of 200 was in violation of pandemic health guidelines. An executive order from the Governor’s Office has banned any gathering larger than 50 people.
“The City of Rome will not tolerate disrespectful activity at our parks and playgrounds, disrespect toward our neighbors who surround park facilities and disruption of their neighborhoods, nor will we tolerate any disrespect towards our police officers, who are performing their sworn duties to protect our community and its facilities,” Izzo said in the statement.
“Further, activities such as these are clear violations of the Governor’s coronavirus guidelines and will not be tolerated at our park facilities.”
After the crowd was dispersed, cell phone videos showing the police detaining various young people were shared on social media. One such video, a blurry, 10-second snippet, allegedly shows a police officer shoving a 15-year-old Black teenager from behind, then grabbing the teen and physically taking him to the grass. The video also shows other juveniles attempting to get between them.
“I’m very comfortable with the actions of the police. Our police did a good job dispersing the crowd,” said Mayor Izzo on Friday about the police response on Guyer Field. The mayor was reached by telephone to discuss the growing concern on social media about the actions of the police. Izzo said she had viewed security camera footage of the incident, but had not viewed the snippets posted to social media.
“We had a few participants that were not following directions to move along and police had to take other actions” to restrain them, Izzo stated. She said it was the “language that they were using towards police, and other gestures” that led to the juveniles being restrained.
The mother of the 15-year-old posted her outrage on her Facebook page and shared pictures of the cuts and bruises on her son’s face.
This video and the mother’s response prompted the Citizen Action of New York, Central New York chapter, to organize a protest and march set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. Roughly 50 people gathered on the lawn at the Fort Stanwix National Monument on North James Street, including the mother of the 15-year-old and other parents of the youths detained at Guyer Field.
“I’m tried of the racism, stereotyping and harassment. I’m tired of the excuses, the silence,” the mother told the gathered crowd.
“We deserve better.”
Pastor Robert Perry, of Utica, was leader of the protest, and a member of Citizen Action of New York.
“I think the video evidence shared on Facebook shows a young man walked away from the scene with scars and bruises and scratches. I would say, by that evidence given, it is definitely police brutality, and excessive force used,” Perry stated at the protest.
“Tonight our plan is to have our voices heard,” Perry said. He told the crowd he wanted the Rome Police to abide by orders from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo earlier this year to open up officer records to the public and to hold community-based meetings to decide on new departmental policies and procedures.
“We ask them to abide by the rules,” Perry said. “Be the police officers that you originally got into this job to be, and took the oath to protect and serve the community.”
After a few short speakers on the Fort Stanwix lawn, Pastor Perry led the protesters north along North James Street towards the police station. The protesters joined in chants such as “No justice, no peace. No more racist police” and “Black lives matter”.
When the protesters crossed the street to stand in front of the Justice Building at 301 N. James St. — shortly before 6:30 p.m. — the station’s outdoor sprinklers were still on. Pastor Perry could be heard remarking to the protesters that they were not going to let the water stop them.
Within minutes, several police vehicles with their police lights flashing, but no sirens, drove up to the scene. About four police officers could then be seen entering the protest crowd to physically grab people. Two young men — one white, one Hispanic — were immediately taken into the station through the front door, while the third, a white woman, was wrestled to the ground. Police would later charge the woman with obstruction and resisting arrest.
Juan Carols Gonzalez, age 18, of Rome, said he had been attempting to shut off one of the sprinklers when a police officer came for him. Gonzalez is the Hispanic male.
“I was trying to turn off the hose because they had it on everybody. I was trying to turn it off,” said Gonzalez after he was released from police custody.
“The cops had come rushing at me. One of them grabbed me, put me in a headlock and tried to drag me down. I tried to get away because, obviously, I did nothing wrong.”
Gonzalez said his adrenaline was “rushing” as he was taken into the police station and it took some time for him to calm down inside. He said he was charged with one count of disorderly conduct.
The police “said that it was for the hose,” he stated. Gonzalez was issued an appearance ticket for City Court.
The arrests riled and angered the protesters and the chants continued, some now including more expletives. No further physical action occurred between the police or the protesters. Pastor Perry said he was allowed into the police station to discuss the matter with the officers in charge Friday evening.
At about 7:30 p.m. Pastor Perry announced to the protesters that Citizen Action of New York was officially ending the protest. The protest had been scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Roughly two dozen protesters decided to stay at the police station to continue until all three people were released.
The last of the three was released shortly before 8:30 p.m. The woman charged with obstruction and resisting arrest declined to comment to the media. The second man was unavailable for comment, but he said that he, too, had been charged in connection with the sprinklers.
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Protest of Guyer Field incident draws crowd of about 50 people, three taken into custody - Rome Sentinel
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