INDIANAPOLIS–Police were not putting up with anyone being on the streets downtown Sunday night. A curfew went into effect at 8 p.m. and cops did not hesitate to put the cuffs on people who were violating it.
WISH TV’s Richard Essex captured video of two women and a man being taken down by police after they did not obey orders to stop and drop. One of the women was repeatedly hit with a baton after an order from one of the officers.
“You made me piss myself,” one of the women was heard complaining to the arresting officers. “Why did you have to do her like that?” asked the other.
The young man who was arrested, or who was at least put in cuffs, told the officer he didn’t have a phone. The officer responded that it was 8:30 and he had had plenty of time to get out of downtown.
“Anyone in violation of the curfew order will be subject to arrest,” warned IMPD Chief Randal Taylor, earlier in the evening, at a news conference held at about the time that announcements of the curfew were made over loudspeakers on Monument Circle and warnings were broadcast over the TV and cell phones.
The curfew was announced Sunday morning after two nights of injuries, murders and destruction of downtown businesses. The strict enforcement of the curfew followed a protest Sunday afternoon, which was broken up by police with tear gas and pepper balls.
“I know there’s people that may have felt that they had been affected by it and didn’t do anything. The only thing I can tell them really at this point is, they shouldn’t be down there anyway,” said Taylor.
It appeared Sunday night that the strategy worked. Police blocked entrances to downtown and let only a certain few, who had permission, move about.
