Va. Beach protesters demand police review board

VIRGINIA BEACH — More than 100 people seeking police department reforms held a rally at the municipal center Tuesday evening.

Damien Stennett, the organizer, said the group wants the city to create a third-party board to review allegations of police misconduct.

Soon after the 5 p.m. event started, people filled the streets. The crowd marched along Nimmo Parkway without any issues. The crowd chanted “Black Lives Matter” and the names of Black people who have died in police custody. They also yelled several anti-police chants.

Once they reached Princess Anne Road, police asked people to move to the sidewalk. Police were seen walking in the roadway to maintain compliance and police cruisers lined the street and followed the crowd. Interim Police Chief Tony Zucaro said Princess

Anne Road was closed to ensure safety for all parties.

A Virginian-Pilot reporter witnessed police handcuff three people who marched in the street on Princess Anne Road. Zucaro said Raymond Joseph Brothers, 27, was charged with assaulting an officer and pedestrian in the roadway. Three others were cited for pedestrian in the roadway, according to Zucaro. Police warned participants to return to the sidewalk and the ones who were arrested refused to do so, Zucaro said. No officers were injured.

“It was a good exercise of First Amendment rights,” Zucaro said. “The group filed the permit process, unfortunately the organizer was unable to have the entire group stay out of the roadway and that resulted in some of the charges. We will not permit unlawful activity.”

Over the past several weeks, demonstrators have marched in the streets, including on June 6, when Stennett and thousands of people walked from Mount Trashmore to Town Center. On Tuesday, Zucaro said he wouldn’t accommodate peaceful demonstrations on the roadways because it is too disruptive.

Stennett had originally planned a 2-mile walk but was told he couldn’t get a permit to walk in the street.

Stennett, who is also a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, said police should not have dictated how an oppressed group protests.

“Police are telling us how we are allowed to express our frustration and anger,” Stennett said. “It was completely unnecessary how they treated us.”

Gary McCollum, a member of the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference who has been advocating for police reforms for years, said demonstrators should have been allowed to protest in the street.

“The police weren’t concerned about the safety of the protesters,” he said. “This was all about control — we are going to tell you what to do.”

The protesters also were upset the majority of police officers at the event did not wear masks. They yelled to police, “why aren’t you wearing masks?” Stennett said not wearing masks during a pandemic shows police do not care about personal safety. Zucaro said police did not wear them because “it is a little difficult to communicate with the crowd when they are masked up.”

The march ended at City Hall where a pro-police group was waiting for them and waiving American flags and holding signs that say “Defend Police.” Yellow police tape separated the opposing sides.

The crowd left City Hall by 7:45 p.m. while the City Council was still meeting inside.