'I know I'm getting heard'; Protesters speak out against Durham police practices for second week
About 100 people gathered at Durham City Hall on Friday to protest an incident involving the Durham Police Department in August, where police drew their weapons on three boys who were playing tag. One boy was handcuffed for a brief period of time.
Posted — UpdatedMany mothers, children and other supporters came together for a little over an hour to speak out against the actions of the police and offer words of encouragement to each other.
"The most important piece of this is continuing the conversation around community policing, community engagement," said organizer Sarah Hinton. "I know that Durham is capable, I know we’re such a diverse and progressive city, so I really hope that we learn how to grow from this instance and not add insult to injury."
On Friday night, 15-year-old Jaylin Harris led a crowd of protesters down the street.
Harris said Durham Police officers patted him down and handcuffed him, all while guns remained pointed at him and his young friends.
"It feels amazing, I know that I'm not just going to be another person that don't matter, I know I'm getting heard," Harris said about the protest.
Protesters said that they plan to gather outside the police department every Friday until the body cam video and the 911 phone call from that day is released.
Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis said in a statement the department was investigating the matter and spoke with the boys and their families about what happened.
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