The head of the Indiana State Police said on Monday that state troopers with sniper skills were placed on rooftops near pro-Palestinian protests at Indiana University.
During an interview on a conservative talk radio show, ISP Superintendent Doug Carter mentioned that police officers were stationed in “over-watch positions” near Dunn Meadow. In that area, police have been using riot shields and zip ties to detain over 50 protesters since Thursday.
Photos of what seemed to be a sniper on the roof of the Indiana Memorial Union became very popular on social media, causing anger among protesters and their followers. Some state lawmakers from Bloomington and IU faculty members have criticized IU administrators, including IU President Pamela Whitten, for the sniper’s presence. There is even a petition calling for President Whitten’s resignation. As of Monday, more than 700 people have signed the petition.
During his interview on WIBC’s “Tony Katz Today,” Carter explained why he thought it was necessary to have troopers with rifles on rooftops.
“Those were not meant to be sniper positions. “They were positions for overseeing,” he said, and later asked, “Could they be used for sniping?” Yes, they did. “However, the statement that we are going to cause another Kent State is completely dishonest and not accurate.”
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“Unfortunately, acts of mass violence are not uncommon in this country,” he said. “I believe I would have deserved criticism if someone, particularly someone who has been radicalized and intends to harm many people, had made that attempt.” “The only way to handle that situation would have been from a higher position.”
Carter mentioned that his agency could have improved their communication. “I believe we could have performed better in that situation. “We have learned from this,” he said. “We have learned from how some people might perceive things.” I understand what you’re saying.
The administrators of IU asked the State Police to remove the encampments at Dunn Meadow. The demonstrators had set up tents and other temporary structures there. The first round of arrests on Thursday happened one day after IU administrators secretly made a rule that says these structures are not allowed.
Carter said that on Saturday morning, while he was at the Dunn Meadow encampment, he heard what he described as antisemitic “hate speech” from the people he was interacting with. According to him, the troopers gave a lot of warning before moving towards the camp and forcefully bringing some protesters to the ground before arresting them.
“Troopers were injured,” Carter said. “One of our troopers had a severely broken finger.” One of our troopers had a large portion of skin bitten off his forearm.
The quick implementation of the policy, along with a police presence that critics have called “militarized,” has caused various groups such as the Indiana ACLU, the IU Media School faculty, and members of Bloomington City Council to criticize the arrests of protesters.
“According to city council members, the situation got worse because there were many police officers present, they showed and used weapons, and they used forceful actions to arrest protesters.” “It is not acceptable for them to respond violently to a peaceful protest.”
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