Posted: May 4, 2011 11:32 PM
Updated: May 5, 2011 3:34 AM
TUCSON - With about 50 officers from the Tucson Police Department involved in Tuesday night's TUSD board meeting, some have questioned if it was enough, or if it was overdone.
"I ran over and I started filming," Alfred Chavez said about his cell phone video of the protests. He was supporting Ethnic Studies outside TUSD headquarters, when he says Tucson Police broke them up forcefully. "Suddenly you see them and they're turning on you."
But Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor says he is proud of how his troops handled every situation.
"No one was dragged, no one was pushed or forced, no injuries of any kind," the Chief said.
People were removed for being disruptive, and in all, TPD says 7 people were arrested for misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass. But even before the meeting began, police were asked to get involved in a few potentially threatening emails that added to their boost in forces.
"We had received information that there was the potential for 100 to 150 patriots, as they dubbed themselves, to appear at the school board meeting. as a kind of counter-protest in support of banning ethnic studies," Chief Villasenor said.
The Chief also told us today that they are still investigating the incidents at last week's meeting.
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