WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut prosecutor will not pursue criminal charges against 26 adults who were arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Waterbury last month, while the city’s police chief is defending the arrests.
Waterbury State’s Attorney Maureen Platt told reporters late Wednesday that all the charges will be dismissed “in the spirit of beginning the healing process and allowing an honest and meaningful conversation as to how we can improve and transform our criminal justice system.”
Platt said she expects a juvenile prosecutor to drop charges against two teens who also were arrested.
Protests around the state following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have largely been peaceful. The arrests in Waterbury were the most at any demonstration in Connecticut. Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo told the Republican-American that the arrests were made after a group broke off from the main protest, blocked a highway, kicked police cars, threw rocks and lobbed water bottles at police.
Spagnolo said he stood by the arrests because public safety was placed in jeopardy.
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