DC police chief disputes Swann Street homeowner claims of brutality against protesters
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham took exception on Wednesday to the claims of a Swann Street homeowner who housed protesters that he witnessed police brutality late Monday night.
The incident unfolded on day four of protests in the District in the wake of George Floyd’s death – protests that escalated into clashes with police before devolving into looting and vandalism.
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Monday night, video was provided to FOX 5 that appeared to show protesters forced down Swann Street by police before taking refuge in a building. At least one homeowner, Rahul Dubey, told FOX 5 he’d helped the protesters.
In particular, the chief challenged a quote Dubey offered to a national news outlet, in which he said, “Police were beating people, putting their faces into cement.”
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In addition, Dubey reportedly told a local outlet that he “saw protesters decimated and beaten.”
The chief said hearing such comments was “very disturbing.”
Newsham says the department’s investigation into the incident paints a very different picture.
He says there were 194 arrests on Swann Street, and 190 of those arrested were adults.
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According to the chief, none of those arrested resisted – and there were no visible injuries to those who were arrested.
He added that because of the claims of abuse, the Internal Affairs Bureau will conduct its own “very thorough review” to determine “exactly what happened.”
“I don’t have any evidence, at this point, to corroborate the allegations that anybody was ‘decimated’ and ‘beaten’,” Newsham said.
According to the chief, the Swann Street subjects were identified as protesters suspected of throwing projectiles and burning a D.C. police vehicle during the nights of demonstrations.
The protesters who talked to FOX 5 Tuesday morning said they were not involved in property destruction.