Protest Planners Working With LG Police

A group of young people from La Grange are organizing a demonstration against police brutality.

La Grange Police Chief David Gilbreath reported to the City Council on Monday that the organizers reached out to him last week.

“What they’re wanting to protest is police brutality in the United States, not so much La Grange,” Gilbreath told the Council.

A flyer posted by the organizers called the event a “Unity Gathering.” It will take place at White Rock Park on Saturday, June 20, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Initially, the organizers wanted to hold the protest on the courthouse square.

“I directed them that it may better benefit our community if we had it at White Rock Park,” Gilbreath said. “They want to have their voices heard. I told them that on the Square, it would be too loud and people would talk over you.”

He said the organizers, who he described as “pleasant, really outgoing young ladies,” did not want any opposition groups to disrupt their protest. He said they asked if police could tell such people to leave if they showed up at the protest.

“I told them that’s not how a protest works,” Gilbreath said. “You don’t have any control over who comes to your protest and who doesn’t.”

Moreover, Gilbreath said the prospect of a protest on the square was “a stress factor for the business owners.” He said the organizers agreed to move the event to White Rock Park.

Speaking about the wave of protests over police brutality in the United States, Gilbreath said, “Evidently there is a problem in the United States with the way some policemen carry themselves.” Gilbreath said the organizers asked him about the relationship between La Grange Police and the local community.

“I think we have a good relationship with the community,” Gilbreath said. “The last two officers we hired are from La Grange. They grew up here.”

Gilbreath said he showed the protest organizers his department’s policies on use of force and racial profiling that he put in place upon becoming the department’s chief in 2017.

“We’re not a biased-based police agency, meaning we don’t go out and look for people based on their sexual orientation, ethnicity or race or anything else,” Gilbreath said. “We do (our job) as it calls to be done. Our use of force follows state law. We use as much force as necessary to conduct an arrest. But once that arrest is conducted, the force must stop.”

Gilbreath said he drafted his department’s policies based on best practices recommended by state law enforcement officials. Councilman Ken Taylor asked whether the event would be an opportunity for the Sheriff’s Office, EMS, fire departments and other first responders to gather on that day. “Yes it is,” Gilbreath said.

“Yes it is,” Gilbreath said. “They’re all going to be there.”

Councilman John “Honza” Cernosek compared the planned event to the annual National Night Out.

“One thing I hope everyone learns from this is to continue the discussion, and that it’s not a onetime thing,” said City Manager Shawn Raborn.

Councilwoman Violet Zbranek said she did not like using the term “protest” to describe the event. Mayor Janet Moerbe said she preferred a term like “peace march.”