Sioux Falls Police arrest six during Wednesday night protest downtown, deploy 'mobile field force officers'
Six people were arrested Wednesday night in response to an escalation during a peaceful protest, according to the Sioux Falls Police Department.
The protest, which was organized through word of mouth and social media, was held in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last week.
What originally started out as a peaceful gathering of people marching down sidewalks on Phillips Avenue and a sit down in front of Pave around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening escalated when protesters continued to march in the streets downtown.
At least 1,100 people attended at one point on Phillips Avenue around 7:45 p.m., according to the Sioux Falls Police Department, who analyzed traffic footage from Wednesday evening.
Chief Jon Thum said Thursday morning during police briefing that he made the decision to deploy "mobile field force officers," who were dressed in helmets, body gear and held batons, after protesters would not get out of the road along 14th Street and up toward Minnesota Avenue nearly an hour after peaceful protesters had gathered in Phillips Avenue.
More: Sioux Falls police say 'couple' of arrests made after abortion rights protests in downtown
No tear gas used, officers did not remove body cameras
Protesters were confronted by police along 14th Street and First Avenue, near Lyon Park. Thum said that Lyon Park was determined to be a safe spot for the protesters.
Thum said that all officers on the scene were wearing body cameras and did not remove badges at any point during the confrontation.
"Trust me, the body cam footage that we got is going to be very, very helpful to us," he said. "We embrace the body cam footage because it's very helpful."
Thum dispelled rumors that tear gas was used during the evening's events. He said that at least two smoke grenades were used but that the force is doing an inventory check to see how many other smoke grenades might have been used.
Argus Leader reporters observed at least two smoke grenade canisters on the ground at the time.
More: Abortion is now illegal in South Dakota. Here's what you need to know.
Dispersal order issued multiple times
Thum said that Wednesday night's gathering was considered an unlawful assembly, not a riot.
Any crowd over 25 requires a permit, Thum explained. Officers had to take into consideration the "reasonable" time and venue, which is constitutionally protected. Because officers could not establish safety in the street as it was getting darker, they made the declaration that it was an unlawful assembly.
"There's numerous ordnances when it comes to blocking traffic and walking in traffic," Thum said. "There's city ordnances that we're willing to work through but at some point there's an expectation because there's other factors at play here, we need to contain this event and ensure the safety of everyone involved."
Multiple dispersal orders were issued to protesters who were on 14th Street between Second and First Avenue, Argus Leader reporters observed at the time.
More: One seriously hurt after rollover crash on Interstate 90 west of Sioux Falls
When protesters refused to move, that's when officers began walking into the crowd to clear them off the streets.
Six people arrested, including a minor
Sam Clemens, a spokesperson for the police, said six people, including a minor, were arrested during Wednesday night.
Charges stem from failure to yield to a law enforcement vehicle to simple assault on an officer.
Aside from the minor, ages of those arrested range between 19 to 29.
Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Six people arrested Wednesday night in connection to protest
