The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Protesters rally in Painesville
Police chief shares policies, touts relationships in community
A rally protesting the death of George Floyd and ongoing social concerns occurred June 1 in Painesville.
The rally was centered in Downtown Painesville and remained peaceful at the time of reporting. Prior to the protest rally,
Painesville Police Chief Daniel Waterman released a statement.
“There are many rumors swirling around Painesville right now and I want to clarify what is happening,” he said. “The city is not on lockdown. We encourage everyone to exercise their constitutional right to protest. We are on the scene to ensure the safety of everyone.”
He emphasized the department’s overarching philosophy is to avoid practices witnessed in Floyd’s death.
“The Painesville Police Department has policies and training in place so what happened in Minnesota does not happen here.” Waterman added, “We train our officers on the dangers of positional asphyxia. We train our officers to never put knees on the neck.
“Our policy is to get suspects up as quickly as possible,” he added. “We never try to force a large or tall person into a vehicle with inadequate room. We call for an SUV or PCFD vehicle to transport. All officers are trained for deadly force situations, and we strongly support crisis intervention training for officers.”
Waterman also used the opportunity to highlight his department’s staffing diversity.
“PPD also prides itself on having one of the most diverse police departments in Northeast Ohio, with multiple African American, Hispanic and/or women officers. Our officers and administration also take pride in being strongly connected to the community we serve in.
“We have a longstanding relationship with the African American community and Hispanic community in the City of Painesville.
“We are closely connected to all children through the Painesville City Local Schools system and we are often invited to events and services in these communities.”