Three Facing Charges Connected To Waterloo Disturbance
Two adults and a juvenile from Waterloo are facing charges connected to a disturbance that followed a peaceful protest in the city.
Police have charged 29-year-old Shane Stone and 18-year-old Maria Carrillo with rioting, failure to disperse and interference with official acts. A 16-year-old female juvenile was also taken into custody on similar charges.
The arrests followed a march through downtown Waterloo early Tuesday morning that ended with police intervention.
Community leaders held a peaceful gathering in Lincoln Park at 10 PM Monday to protest the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody. Just a few hours after being sworn-in as Waterloo's 38th police chief, Joel Fitzgerald attended the gathering and answered public questions about policing and the future of policing in the city.
The gathering at Lincoln Park lasted until about 1 AM Tuesday and ended with a peaceful march through the downtown area. Waterloo police units assisted protesters with traffic control, a press release said.
According to Waterloo police, a group of individuals began marching through the city again around 2 AM and officers attempted to provide the same escort through traffic. It was during the second march when someone from the group allegedly threw a rock through a window at Kwik Star, 1214 Franklin St. Police said officers witnessed the incident and quickly intervened as the suspect fled into the nearby neighborhood.
In the press release, police said a small number of those marching became unruly and were ordered to disperse. The demonstrators eventually complied after officers and Black Hawk County sheriff's deputies joined them in a symbol of unity by kneeling.
According to police, several members of the second group then moved to the City Hall parking to continue their protest. Police said some members of the group began to throw items, which damaged a vehicle parked in the lot. The incident resulted in the arrests of Stone, Carrillo and the juvenile.
It was the first of two-straight mornings that authorities had to intervene with protesters in Waterloo. Twitter feeds show that deputies met demonstrators outside the sheriff's office early Wednesday, before the group moved to different parts of the downtown area.
According to several reports, Waterloo police officers fired tear gas at some of the protesters as they attempted to block traffic on the U.S. Highway 218 overpass near West First Street.
There were no immediate reports of damage, injuries or arrests connected with the Wednesday morning incident.