Remember that “demonstration” I wrote about earlier? NBC Chicago reports there was a lot more to it:
Following a violent protest at which 49 Chicago police officers were injured Friday night, the city’s police superintendent has ordered all officers to wear riot gear at similar large gatherings.
What started as a peaceful demonstration led to several clashes between police and individuals who were protesting the presence of the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park.
Approximately one dozen individuals were arrested, and at least 20 complaints were filed with the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability, some alleging excessive force, unnecessary use of pepper spray and denial of counsel.
Chicago police released video Monday that appears to show protesters jabbing officers with PVC pipe from a banner and throwing items such as rocks, fireworks and frozen water bottles.
I think I would claim that pre-sharpened PVC and certainly fireworks constituted Class II weapons, those who employed them against the police are guilty of several felonies, and anyone who knew that the pre-sharpened PVC and fireworks would be brought to the event, for example through social media, is guilty of conspiracy to commit armed violence. That was no peaceful protest.
Where did the word “sharpened’ come into the story? I only see PVC pipes from a banner. Jabbing, yes. But sharpened?
There have been reports here, particularly from police officers, of that detail.
ABC 7 Chicago
CWB Chicago
Block Club Chicago
Those first two sources seem to cite the same police officer. The “top cop” Supt Brown. If I read it correctly, the third source doesn’t name who gave them the information.
While I’m not an expert on sharpening PVC pipes, it seems that poking someone with a stick is a lot less useful than poking someone with a stick with a spearhead on it. A sharpened stick would likely be more effective than sharpened PVC.
Googling around, I did find a video of someone who made a shank out of PVC pipe. Most all of the other uses seem to be for plumbing, or using the PVC pipe to make a bow for use with arrows.
This whole sharpened PVC pipe thing seems like hype. Maybe they did have some sort of spearhead thing attached to the PVC. I don’t know.