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    Graham Police Department Statement

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    Zachery Eanes
    The Graham Police Department released a media report detailing a march organized by Reverend Greg Drumwright on October 31, 2020. Police reached out to Drumwright to plan the event but were unable to agree on a road closure near the polling site. On the day of the march, participants briefly blocked the road at the courthouse, prompting police to issue warnings before deploying pepper vapor to disperse the crowd. A total of 8 arrests were made for offenses including failure to disperse.

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    Graham Police Department Statement

    Uploaded by

    Zachery Eanes
    31K views1 page
    The Graham Police Department released a media report detailing a march organized by Reverend Greg Drumwright on October 31, 2020. Police reached out to Drumwright to plan the event but were unable to agree on a road closure near the polling site. On the day of the march, participants briefly blocked the road at the courthouse, prompting police to issue warnings before deploying pepper vapor to disperse the crowd. A total of 8 arrests were made for offenses including failure to disperse.

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    A statement from the Graham Police Department about the Oct. 31, 2020, get-out-the-vote rally.

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    Graham Police Department statement

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    The Graham Police Department released a media report detailing a march organized by Reverend Greg Drumwright on October 31, 2020. Police reached out to Drumwright to plan the event but were unable to agree on a road closure near the polling site. On the day of the march, participants briefly blocked the road at the courthouse, prompting police to issue warnings before deploying pepper vapor to disperse the crowd. A total of 8 arrests were made for offenses including failure to disperse.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    31K views1 page

    Graham Police Department Statement

    Uploaded by

    Zachery Eanes
    The Graham Police Department released a media report detailing a march organized by Reverend Greg Drumwright on October 31, 2020. Police reached out to Drumwright to plan the event but were unable to agree on a road closure near the polling site. On the day of the march, participants briefly blocked the road at the courthouse, prompting police to issue warnings before deploying pepper vapor to disperse the crowd. A total of 8 arrests were made for offenses including failure to disperse.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    City of Graham Police Department

    216 South Maple Street


    PO Box 357
    Graham, NC 27253
    (336) 570-6711 M. K. Cole, Chief of Police
    www.cityofgraham.com/police kcole@cityofgraham.com

    Graham Police Department Media Release

    For Immediate Release Contact: Lieutenant Daniel Sisk, PIO


    dsisk@cityofgraham.com
    Date: 10/31/2020 (336) 570-6711 / (336) 639-0634

    On 10/31/2020 Reverend Greg Drumwright organized a march to the downtown historic courthouse. When
    the Graham Police Department learned of this we reached out to Mr. Drumwright in order to plan the event.
    He was originally directed to the Graham City Council to petition for permission to have a temporary road
    closure to accomodate the march. Mr. Drumwright missed the deadline to get his road closure on the agenda
    for the city council meeting on 10/13/2020. He was directed by the council to meet with Chief M.K. Cole to
    coordinate the event due to the lack of a picket/demonstration ordinance for the City of Graham. A meeting
    was scheduled with Mr. Drumwright on 10/20/2020. At that time the Graham Police Department provided
    several possible options that detailed route and rally points. None of our options included a road closure for
    the duration of the event due to its proximity to the voting poll located at 201 W. Elm St. A road closure
    where he requested, Courtsquare, would have limited access and available parking for the polling site. An
    agreement for road closure was not made at that meeting and Mr. Drumwright was directed to the Alamance
    County Sheriff's Office for the issuance of a permit to use county property at the historic courthouse as a
    rally location. Once we confirmed the permit was issued the Graham Police Department made provisions to
    provide traffic control and public safety to those participating in the march. We made arrangements to
    utilize sidewalks on the North East and North West corners of courtsquare, to include sesquicentennial park,
    to accommodate any overflow participants in the march. We also created a section to keep counter
    demonstrators separated from the group by creating a zone away from the rally point. Mr. Drumwright was
    provided a copy of our public safety plan so he would be aware of the route and expectations. Those plans
    detailed that the blocking of a roadway by participants was a prohibited activity that would be strictly
    enforced. During the march the participants were allowed to stop several times so that Rev. Drumwright
    could address the group. Once they arrived at courtsquare they paused in the roadway for approximately 8
    minutes and 40 seconds. After approximately 9 minutes traffic began backing up in all direction around
    courtsquare causing a traffic and safety hazard to include march organizers pulling vehicles into courtsquare
    in the wrong direction. At this time the crowd was given the command to clear the roadway and to move to
    the permitted area on courthouse property or one of the two areas designated by Graham Police. When the
    crowd failed to disperse, after several verbal commands,officers with the Graham Police Department
    utilized a crowd control measure that consisted of spraying a pepper based vapor onto the ground. At that
    time the crowd began moving to the designated areas and the rally resumed. As a result of actions that
    occurred within the rally, on courthouse grounds, the assembly reached a level of conduct that led to the
    rally being deemed unsafe and unlawful by unified command. The order to disperse was given to the crowd
    with a 5 minute warning. Warnings were issued at the 3 minute mark, the two minute mark and a final
    warning was provided after five minutes had passed. The warnings included that if they failed to disperse
    force would be used and you would be subject to arrest. Several people remained after the final warning
    and officers again deployed a pepper based vapor onto the ground to assist in the dispersing the crowd. At
    no time during this event did any member of the Graham Police Department directly spray any participant in
    the march with chemical irritants. The crowd then dispersed and vehicular traffic around courtsquare
    resumed.
    During the rally the Graham Police Department made 8 arrests for different offenses to include Resist Delay
    and obstruct, Failure to disperse, and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer. Demographic
    details will be released on a later date.
    Prior to this march the Graham Police Department initially had contact with the organizer. However, the

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