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Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Police Chief Explains Protest Response To Council; Questions Remain

Rebecca Green/WBOI News

Fort Wayne police chief Steve Reed stood by his department’s response to protests in downtown Fort Wayne during the final weekend of May, as he met with City Council on Tuesday night for the first time since the incidents. 

Protesters and police clashed violently for two nights before the temperature calmed down; while many organizers, local officials and members of the police department took part in a “unity march” that some saw as a step forward, others want to see more direct, immediate action.

Reed addressed Council amid this impasse Tuesday, blaming the unrest on what he “believes” were outside agitators, despite most of the nearly 100 arrested during those clashes residing in or near Fort Wayne.

He says there wasn’t a police presence at the May 29 demonstration until “after the streets were flooded” and justified the department’s response from there, adding that events happened quickly.

“Our main goal was to restore peace and get folks out of the street, but when we were getting those 911 calls and seeing that people were being surrounded on cars, and our efforts did fail trying to talk to folks, that’s when we deployed other measures,” Reed says.

Many Council members noted a flood of letters and emails from concerned residents over the department’s methods of deploying tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowds on May 29 and 30. The overall response from Council varied, with most stating a desire to review the circumstances while extending gratitude toward the department.

6th District Democrat Sharon Tucker also made her support for the Fort Wayne Police Department clear, but also pushed back on the perception that asking questions about what exactly happened means a person is “against” the police.

She added that constituents who were earnestly protesting the killing of George Floyd in police custody felt their First Amendment rights were violated, and many questions from those evenings are still unanswered.

“Why? Why the full tactical gear, why the tear gas? People want their questions answered," she said. "And I think as a Council we have a responsibility to try to provide some sort of answer for those individuals, the same way that we have a responsibility I feel to make sure that we’re supporting our men and women in blue."

"It’s not an either-or; it’s an and.”

No action was taken, though Tucker and at-large Democrat Michelle Chambers noted that conversations are going to be ongoing, with Chambers mentioning an in-person meeting with Reed Wednesday where she will present constituent concerns gathered from a virtual town hall Monday.

Zach joined 89.1 WBOI as a reporter and local host for All Things Considered, and hosted Morning Edition for the past few years. In 2022, he was promoted to Content Director.
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