D.C. Police Chief Readies Police for Riots

Although she would not answer when asked her motivation for doing so, Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier sent a memo to the city’s police to ready themselves for “possible demonstrations” Sunday and Monday. 

There was no mention of the coming verdict in the trial of Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, which is expected to trigger violent protests around the nation. Among the measures Lanier will institute for the weekend are:

1. 17 civil disturbance platoons will be activated;
2. The K-9, the bomb squad, and the emergency response team will be on duty all weekend;
3. The electronic surveillance team, which records protests, will be on duty.

According to FOX 5, Lanier asserted that the memo was pre-approved. The memo states that officers’ leave will be restricted; optional sick leave will be refused.

In August, protesters demonstrated in a northeast neighborhood of Washington D.C. for roughly three hours, calling for “justice” for Michael Brown. Some chanted, “H Street shut it down, racist cops, shut it down.”