RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Bodycam videos, police reports and other materials connected to the city of Richmond’s aggressive response to protesters in June 2020 have been made public through the Library of Virginia. The database that went live recently is part of a legal settlement between the city and plaintiffs who say police used excessive force against protesters who gathered at the Robert E. Lee statue two years ago in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd ahead of an 8 p.m. curfew. The department later apologized and said the use of tear gas was unwarranted. A few days later, the city’s police chief resigned. Thomas H. Roberts, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, said the archive will allow the public to judge for themselves how police responded. Members of the public will be able to contribute their own footage of what occurred to the archive.
