This thing could have gone sideways very quickly.
Protesters began arriving around 5:00 pm, grew to an estimated 1500 to 2000 participants, marched
between the three aforementioned locations, pausing at each to give speeches and peacefully protest. For
the most part, the protest went without incident early on. One exception involved an incident where a
participant began waiving an object in the air that appeared to be a gun and other participants began
running away from him out of fear. Officers who were in the area quickly responded, took the individual into custody and removed him from the area. It was later determined that the object he was waiving was not a
real gun (cigarette lighter in the shape of a gun) and he was released without being charged with any
criminal offense.
More troubling was the arrival of a group of individuals who self-identified as members of the Boogaloo extremist organization. This group has as one of its state goals, the desire to instigate race wars across America.
To learn more about this group, please visit their website at https://www.adl.org/blog/theboogaloo-extremists-new-slang-term-for-a-coming-civil-war . A number of these group members were armed with rifles and handguns and when questioned, indicated they were exercising their right to open carry. This was troubling because the organization is known for their involvement in destructive and violent
behavior at other protests across America. It was also troubling because, although they did not state their intent, there was potential for these armed counter-protesters to conflict with, or commit acts of violence
against the peaceful protestors, reminiscent of the Charlottesville, Virginia protests. However, with no legal authority to stop them, they were allowed continue into the crowd of protestors and monitored throughout the event. Upon their arrival a number of the peaceful protestors began to leave.
Throughout the evening the protestors continued to dissipate and by 8:00 pm, only one group of approximately 150 to 200 participants remained. Officers noticed that most of the remaining group members did not appear to be from ACC and were primarily made up of many of the Boogaloo members.
Throughout the evening, officers also observed signs that these individuals were planning to engage in
destruction and violence, likely targeted against government buildings and infrastructure and against law
enforcement officers defending them. These signs included instruments consistent with those utilized in
riotous behavior. Some of these included:
Long weapons – Rifles and shotguns
Sidearms – variety of hand guns
Leaf Blowers – Used to compel smoke and gas used by law enforcement to disperse unlawful
crowds
Gallons of milk – Used to wash the face and reduce the effectiveness of gas
People wearing gas masks
People carrying heavy backpacks – potentially filled with instruments of destruction, likely bricks
At one point the group, which was assembled at the UGA Arch on Broad Street, moved into the street, sat
down and blocked Broad Street traffic in both directions. ACCPD chose to overlook this unlawful behavior
at this time to avoid instigating conflict. Instead, traffic was rerouted to streets around them.
Based on our observations and intelligence gathered that destructive and violent behaviors by the
remaining group was imminent, I made a request for a Declaration of a Local State of Emergency with a
Downtown curfew between 9:00 pm on May 31 and 5:00 am on June 1. You approved this request and
signed the Emergency Declaration shortly before 9:00 pm.
Between 9:00 pm and 1130 pm officers cleared all other Downtown areas in accordance with the curfew,
with the exception of the group on Broad Street. After other areas were cleared, at 11:54 pm, ACCPD
began making notifications to the Broad Street crowd that they were unlawfully assembled and would need
to immediately disperse and leave the area or face arrest. The specific message, which was delivered
between six and fifteen different times was as follows:
“This is the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. You are currently in violation of Georgia
Law (O.C.G.A. 16-11-33) prohibiting unlawful assembly. You are hereby being lawfully
commanded to immediately withdraw from your unlawful assembly and disperse. If you do not
withdraw and disperse you may arrest and criminally charged. There is potential that force may be
used against you during arrest. Withdraw and disperse now.”
After delivering this message multiple times and receiving no response, I made the decision to utilize gas
as a final attempt to get the crowd to disburse without having to use higher levels of force. It should be
noted that gas is the industry standard and preferred method of disbursing crowds because its effect is
temporary and goes away within a short period of time with no lasting injury. This is as opposed to the use
of rubber bullets, batons, bean bag rounds or conducted energy devices (Tasers), which are much more
likely to cause lasting injury.
At 12:06 am gas was deployed by the ACCPD Special Response Team (SRT) and members of the crowd
were again given the opportunity to voluntarily leave. At this point a number of the people left the area.
However instead of leaving, some of the group members began picking up the gas canisters, throwing
them back at the officers and using leaf blowers to blow the gas away from the crowd. A few sat on the
ground as a final act of defiance. After a wait period at 12:10 am, SRT and supporting units moved
forward and the remaining people at the scene were arrested with minimal force. No other force options
were necessary or were used. As the SRT team moved in, several individuals were observed fleeing into a
building that was under construction. Officers were able to locate these individuals hiding in the building
and they were also arrested. A total of 19 arrests were made in the Downtown area. Six of the arrested
individuals had addresses outside the ACC area. During our search of the area after the area was cleared,
stacks of bricks were located inside tents that we believe the group was planning to use to throw at officers
or use to damage buildings. It should be noted that ACCPD and Central Service had taken precautions
before the start of the event to clear the area of all trashcans bricks, bottles and other items that could be
used as projectiles. The bricks that we located after the incident were likely what was being carried in
inside the backpacks that we noticed the group members carrying.
It should also be noted that ACCPD had intelligence that there may be a coordinated effort to burglarize
gun stores while officers were tied up addressing the civil disturbance Downtown. Shortly before 1:00 am
on June 1, officers responded to a report of looters at the Academy Sports Store on Atlanta Highway and
disrupted a burglary in progress. 13 individuals who had broken into the store were arrested for Burglary
and Damage to Property. In all, 32 arrest were made to include the 19 Downtown and 13 at Academy
Sports.
I have attached a video of the event to better illustrate our actions during the final minutes of the incident.
(NOTE: The video has not been forwarded to the Commissioners at this time. I will send it when I get access.)
CLEVELAND L. SPRUILL SR
Chief of Police
Protesters began arriving around 5:00 pm, grew to an estimated 1500 to 2000 participants, marched
between the three aforementioned locations, pausing at each to give speeches and peacefully protest. For
the most part, the protest went without incident early on. One exception involved an incident where a
participant began waiving an object in the air that appeared to be a gun and other participants began
running away from him out of fear. Officers who were in the area quickly responded, took the individual into custody and removed him from the area. It was later determined that the object he was waiving was not a
real gun (cigarette lighter in the shape of a gun) and he was released without being charged with any
criminal offense.
More troubling was the arrival of a group of individuals who self-identified as members of the Boogaloo extremist organization. This group has as one of its state goals, the desire to instigate race wars across America.
To learn more about this group, please visit their website at https://www.adl.org/blog/theboogaloo-extremists-new-slang-term-for-a-coming-civil-war . A number of these group members were armed with rifles and handguns and when questioned, indicated they were exercising their right to open carry. This was troubling because the organization is known for their involvement in destructive and violent
behavior at other protests across America. It was also troubling because, although they did not state their intent, there was potential for these armed counter-protesters to conflict with, or commit acts of violence
against the peaceful protestors, reminiscent of the Charlottesville, Virginia protests. However, with no legal authority to stop them, they were allowed continue into the crowd of protestors and monitored throughout the event. Upon their arrival a number of the peaceful protestors began to leave.
Throughout the evening the protestors continued to dissipate and by 8:00 pm, only one group of approximately 150 to 200 participants remained. Officers noticed that most of the remaining group members did not appear to be from ACC and were primarily made up of many of the Boogaloo members.
Throughout the evening, officers also observed signs that these individuals were planning to engage in
destruction and violence, likely targeted against government buildings and infrastructure and against law
enforcement officers defending them. These signs included instruments consistent with those utilized in
riotous behavior. Some of these included:
Long weapons – Rifles and shotguns
Sidearms – variety of hand guns
Leaf Blowers – Used to compel smoke and gas used by law enforcement to disperse unlawful
crowds
Gallons of milk – Used to wash the face and reduce the effectiveness of gas
People wearing gas masks
People carrying heavy backpacks – potentially filled with instruments of destruction, likely bricks
At one point the group, which was assembled at the UGA Arch on Broad Street, moved into the street, sat
down and blocked Broad Street traffic in both directions. ACCPD chose to overlook this unlawful behavior
at this time to avoid instigating conflict. Instead, traffic was rerouted to streets around them.
Based on our observations and intelligence gathered that destructive and violent behaviors by the
remaining group was imminent, I made a request for a Declaration of a Local State of Emergency with a
Downtown curfew between 9:00 pm on May 31 and 5:00 am on June 1. You approved this request and
signed the Emergency Declaration shortly before 9:00 pm.
Between 9:00 pm and 1130 pm officers cleared all other Downtown areas in accordance with the curfew,
with the exception of the group on Broad Street. After other areas were cleared, at 11:54 pm, ACCPD
began making notifications to the Broad Street crowd that they were unlawfully assembled and would need
to immediately disperse and leave the area or face arrest. The specific message, which was delivered
between six and fifteen different times was as follows:
“This is the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. You are currently in violation of Georgia
Law (O.C.G.A. 16-11-33) prohibiting unlawful assembly. You are hereby being lawfully
commanded to immediately withdraw from your unlawful assembly and disperse. If you do not
withdraw and disperse you may arrest and criminally charged. There is potential that force may be
used against you during arrest. Withdraw and disperse now.”
After delivering this message multiple times and receiving no response, I made the decision to utilize gas
as a final attempt to get the crowd to disburse without having to use higher levels of force. It should be
noted that gas is the industry standard and preferred method of disbursing crowds because its effect is
temporary and goes away within a short period of time with no lasting injury. This is as opposed to the use
of rubber bullets, batons, bean bag rounds or conducted energy devices (Tasers), which are much more
likely to cause lasting injury.
At 12:06 am gas was deployed by the ACCPD Special Response Team (SRT) and members of the crowd
were again given the opportunity to voluntarily leave. At this point a number of the people left the area.
However instead of leaving, some of the group members began picking up the gas canisters, throwing
them back at the officers and using leaf blowers to blow the gas away from the crowd. A few sat on the
ground as a final act of defiance. After a wait period at 12:10 am, SRT and supporting units moved
forward and the remaining people at the scene were arrested with minimal force. No other force options
were necessary or were used. As the SRT team moved in, several individuals were observed fleeing into a
building that was under construction. Officers were able to locate these individuals hiding in the building
and they were also arrested. A total of 19 arrests were made in the Downtown area. Six of the arrested
individuals had addresses outside the ACC area. During our search of the area after the area was cleared,
stacks of bricks were located inside tents that we believe the group was planning to use to throw at officers
or use to damage buildings. It should be noted that ACCPD and Central Service had taken precautions
before the start of the event to clear the area of all trashcans bricks, bottles and other items that could be
used as projectiles. The bricks that we located after the incident were likely what was being carried in
inside the backpacks that we noticed the group members carrying.
It should also be noted that ACCPD had intelligence that there may be a coordinated effort to burglarize
gun stores while officers were tied up addressing the civil disturbance Downtown. Shortly before 1:00 am
on June 1, officers responded to a report of looters at the Academy Sports Store on Atlanta Highway and
disrupted a burglary in progress. 13 individuals who had broken into the store were arrested for Burglary
and Damage to Property. In all, 32 arrest were made to include the 19 Downtown and 13 at Academy
Sports.
I have attached a video of the event to better illustrate our actions during the final minutes of the incident.
(NOTE: The video has not been forwarded to the Commissioners at this time. I will send it when I get access.)
CLEVELAND L. SPRUILL SR
Chief of Police
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