WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - A man and a teenager were arrested during a protest in Wilmington calling for the removal of a police officer over alleged abusive tactics.
As a group of about 20 people marched Saturday on the sidewalk near the police department, officers moved to block access to a street. The News Journal of Wilmington reported that at one point, a protester with a megaphone appeared to have gotten close to an officer and a scuffle ensued.
Police said Warren Wood, 29, of Middletown, and a 14-year-old boy from New Castle were then arrested and charged with “offensive touching of a law enforcement officer.”
Police said two police officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital.
It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday whether Wood has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Organizer Monique Fegans told the newspaper that “police decided to protect property over people and instigated a confrontation with a minor.”
“The goal was to use the sidewalk to use our First Amendment right peacefully and use the sidewalk legally,” Fegans said.
The newspaper reported that the police department has previously blocked the area during protests.
“Similar to most agencies across the country, we sometimes institute temporary restrictions for pedestrian and vehicular traffic to aid in the flow of traffic for residents and visitors, and to ensure the safety of those participating in demonstrations,” a police spokesperson told the newspaper.
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