Dem senator calls for disarming cops. Detroit police chief shoots back: 'When are we going to talk about disarming criminals?'



Detroit Police Chief James Craig blasted Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) after the Democratic lawmaker called for disarming "every police department" of a variety of weapons including "tear gas, rubber and plastic bullets, and bean bag rounds."

Craig appeared Monday on "The Story with Martha MacCallum" on Fox News where he countered Markey's remarks.

What are the details?

In a Monday news release, Markey said, "Our streets are not meant to be battlefields, and law enforcement shouldn't be using weapons of war against protesters and other Americans. Law enforcement's use of tear gas also compounds the effects of structural racism, because we know communities of color are already suffering disproportionately during this global respiratory pandemic. It's time we stop using these potentially lethal weapons against our own people."

He later tweeted, "Portland police routinely attack peaceful protesters with brute force. We must disarm these officers, and every other police department in America, of weapons of war, and enact a nationwide ban on tear gas, rubber and plastic bullets, and bean bag rounds."

Portland police routinely attack peaceful protestors with brute force. We must disarm these officers, and every oth… https://t.co/E9Iimcabgs
— Ed Markey (@Ed Markey)1600093580.0

Craig told MacCallum that Markey's statement was "absolutely ridiculous."

"You know what I find fascinating, Martha, and even Rashida Tlaib here out of my state here in Michigan who is calling for me to resign, let me just say this," he said. "When are we going to start talking about disarming criminals? I've been on the record. I support law-abiding citizens to be armed, but criminals?"

He continued, "And so it's OK to attack police officers and then everyone always says one thing. 'These were peaceful protesters.' So I guess when you throw Molotov cocktails, railroad spikes, other projectiles, using green lasers, I guess that constitutes being peaceful. We have never tried to stop folks from their right to free speech. We've been dealing with this for in excess of 100 days. Six instances where we've had to use force because they were either attacking us or they resisted a lawful arrest."

What else?

Earlier this month, Craig fired back at a group of Democratic lawmakers demanding an investigation into what they say is the use of "excessive force" on protesters.

In an open letter, the group demanded accountability.

"The lack of accountability and urgency to investigate claims of excessive force and constitutional violations, coupled with a dismissive attitude of the movement for racial justice, has eroded public trust and community relationships," the letter said. "Internal investigations by the Detroit Police Department cannot fix this."

Craig fired back, "It's unfortunate that these representatives have chosen to repeat a number of false claims in their letter without verifying the facts."

"What really disturbs me is that when the protesters assaulted Detroit Police Officers with rocks, railroad spikes, and fireworks, never once did these representatives ask for an independent investigation into their violent criminal activity," Craig added.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered a temporary ban on Detroit police officers using anti-protest gear including batons, rubber bullets, shields, tear gas, and more against peaceful demonstrators.

Judge temporarily bans Detroit police from using anti-protest gear. Chief says this changes nothing.



A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary ban on Detroit police officers using anti-protest gear — such as shields, batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and more — against peaceful protesters following a lawsuit from protest group Detroit Will Breathe.

The ruling will prohibit officers from using such crowd control tactics on "peaceful protesters" for a period of at least 14 days.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig says he supports the move, and insists that his officers have only used force when demonstrators were not peaceful.

What are the details?

The organization filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Detroit police habitually used "unnecessary, unreasonable, and excessive force" during protests, which violated demonstrators' constitutional rights.

The order states, "For a period of 14 days, to be extended upon a showing of good cause, but not beyond 28 days absent consent by ... the City of Detroit, including the Detroit Police Department ... is enjoined from: using striking weapons (including, but not limited to, batons and shields), chemical agents (including, but not limited to, tear gas and pepper spray), or rubber bullets against any individual peacefully engaging in protest or demonstrations who does not pose a physical threat to the safety of the public or police."

Other temporarily prohibited actions include "[d]eploying chemical agents or a sound cannon against persons peacefully engaging in protest or demonstrations without an audible warning and a reasonable amount of time to disperse."

Police are also prohibited from placing any demonstrators "in a chokehold," or "ramming with a vehicle any individual attending a demonstration."

The order added, "In the event that Plaintiffs seek relief for an alleged violation of this Order, the City must respond to the motion for relief within 24 hours."

The organization's suit accused police of using forceful tactics to disperse peaceful protesters, including tear gas.

"[Peaceful protesters] have been tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, beaten, and otherwise subjected to unconstitutional excessive force, shot with rubber bullets ... put in chokeholds ... and arrested en masse without probable cause."

What are people saying about this?

Craig said that the order changes nothing since it focuses on peaceful protesters.

"The judge's order is no different than what we've always done," Craig said. "Every time we've had to use less-than-lethal force, it's been to address violence by protesters, resisting arrest, or when they've tried to take over an intersection in violation of the law. Technically, nothing has changed."

"We're going to continue to do our jobs the way we've done it," he added. "We respect peaceful protesters. We understand the judge's order and we'll make sure the protesters understand if there's any aggression or violation of law, they will get ample notice like we've done in the past."

Craig added that if a protester is, however, resisting arrest or unlawfully acting out, officers will continue to use reasonable force.

"If someone is resisting arrest, or trying to attack our officers, we will use the force that's both reasonable and necessary to overcome the resistance," he explained. "We don't want the protesters injured, and we don't want officers injured, either."

Craig also pointed out that officers have not engaged in the use of chokeholds, considering that such practices are "already banned in Detroit," and questioned why the tactic was banned by the order to begin with.

"[T]hey're already banned in Detroit except in life-or-death situations," he reasoned.

Craig also promised that protests will be filmed for posterity.

"We want to document everything. When we give orders to disperse when people are blocking an intersection, and they refuse repeated orders, we want all that documented when we make arrests."

According to The Detroit News, city attorney Lawrence Garcia said that the suit was welcomed, because "it allowed the city to file a counter-suit."

Garcia also expressed his disappointment over the ruling, saying, "We are disappointed the order was entered without an evidentiary hearing because we believe when the evidence is heard, the police actions to date will be deemed justified."

Detroit Will Breathe lauded the move, and in a Friday statement, its attorney said that the group is "relieved" to be able to commemorate its 100th day of protest "safely and peacefully, without fear or violent retaliation or unlawful arrest by police."

The group is expected to seek a permanent injunction as the temporary restraining order is only in effect for 14 days.