WASHINGTON — An investigation is underway on the police actions that led dozens of "Justice for George Floyd" protesters to take refuge inside a stranger's home in Logan Circle to avoid arrests during Monday night's curfew in the District.
In a statement from Councilmember Charles Allen on behalf of the members of the D.C. Council's Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, they plan to conduct oversight of incidents that may have caused the rights of the protesters along Swann Street to be violated.
They said they will review the activities of law enforcement during the incident.
"The escalation of federal agents and military helicopters is outrageous, deliberately provocative and making the situation more dangerous, cracking down on Americans peacefully exercising their First Amendment right," said Councilmember Allen.
The committee is now asking people who were at Swann Street to come forward and share their experiences with committee members at Judiciary@DCCouncil.us.
Video shows the tactics police used to box in protesters on Swann Street and make dozens of arrests.
Following the fourth day of demonstrations in D.C., residents around 15th and Swann Streets let those dozens of protesters into their home Monday night.
People told us that protesters were funneled by police into Swann Street off 15th Street. While residents let protesters into their houses, police were waiting for them to come out. Then, allegedly making arrests.
WUSA9's Ariane Datil spoke with one man named "Meka" via phone who said that he is among roughly 40 protesters inside a home that could not move back into the streets due to police making arrests.
They have been in the house since around 10 p.m. on Monday.
He told Datil that the protesters were spread through the three floors of the home. The people in the home kept them safe there until the curfew ended at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
When curfew lifted at 6 a.m. on Tuesday dozens of protesters safely left a Logan Circle home the sought refuge in.
"Justice for George Floyd" protests sparked after a video surfaced showing George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer.
Protests erupted nationwide days after Floyd’s death calling for the arrests of all the officers involved after a Memorial Day viral video showed Floyd being pinned down by his neck by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Floyd, who is repeatedly heard in the video saying he can't breathe and asking for Chauvin to get off his neck, died that day.
The Minneapolis mayor on Tuesday fired all four officers involved in the incident. On Friday, Chauvin was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death.
The three officers who were involved in the incident have been charged.
D.C. was among cities across the nation who held protests since Friday night, demanding the remaining three officers involved in Floyd's death to be arrested and charged.