The Cobb Police Department issued a statement Saturday night with the Marietta Police Department and the Smyrna Police Department about planned protests in the county stemming from the death of a black man in police custody in Minnesota earlier this week.
The death of George Floyd, who was shown face down on the ground handcuffed, with a white officer kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, sparked violent protests in several major cities, including Minneapolis, where the incident took place.
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Several nights of protests in that city included burning property and police cars, vandalizing stores and storming a police precinct.
Atlanta was the scene of protests Friday night that included vandalizing and looting CNN Center and other businesses in Centennial Olympic Park and in Buckhead.
On Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms imposed a curfew that began at 9 p.m. and expires at sunrise Sunday and Georgia National Guard troops have been called in. Similar curfews have been ordered in other cities.
In the joint statement, the three police departments said this about possible protests in Cobb County:
“We have been in contact with a few individuals representing groups that are planning peaceful protests within our jurisdictions. Some of the organizers have expressed concern that outside agitators may try to hijack their plans for a peaceful event. Therefore we recommend anyone else planning protests to communicate and partner with their local law enforcement agencies to maintain the safety of all involved.”
The statement didn’t specify where and when any protests may take place.
East Cobb News has asked Cobb Police if any protests are planned in its jurisdiction and will update that when/if we hear back.
The Cobb police departments said they cannot discuss with the media or the public how they’re preparing for possible violence:
“We have plans in place and we want to remind any who plan to use the peaceful protests as a means to break the law, we will be ready to protect peaceful protestors, residents, and business owners and to arrest and charge any and all who break the law within our respective jurisdictions.”
They urged anyone seeing criminal activity to call 911. “Rest assured, all three departments are and remain passionate about protecting our residents and business owners. Any criminal acts will result in arrest and prosecution according to the law.”
The four Minneapolis officers on the scene at the time of Floyd’s death were terminated, and the officer seen kneeling on the victim was charged with third-degree murder. It’s the latest in a series of deaths of black men by police in recent years that have resulted in protests around the country.
But little has been as violent as what’s taken place this week.
In Brunswick, in south Georgia, three men, including a former investigator with the Glynn County District Attorney’s Office, have been charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was jogging in a neighborhood when he was killed in February.
Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes has been appointed to take over the prosecution of the case that, like the George Floyd case, took on national importance when video footage emerged.
Among the violent episodes Saturday include police deploying tear gas near the White House to stave off protestors in Washington, D.C., and demonstrators setting City Hall on fire in Nashville. On Friday, two police officers were shot in Oakland, Calif., one of them fatally.
Protestors appeared near the Georgia governor’s mansion in Atlanta Saturday but were dispersed by police before the curfew began.
The Cobb police departments also said this Saturday night:
“For the record, all three of our departments remain strongly opposed to any form of injustice, racism, or brutality. We are deeply concerned and have taken steps to not only protect everyone’s first amendment right to free speech and peaceful protest, but also to protect the life and liberty of our local citizens as well. Our three departments are working in conjunction to make sure the safety of everyone is maintained.”
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