A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer who had marched "more than a 100 miles" with George Floyd protesters, was involved in two scuffles with angry protesters in less than 24 hours. On Monday afternoon, at a protest in Charlotte, a male protester shoved the officer, Brad Koch, leading to a scuffle between him and several other protesters.
On Sunday night, he was involved in another incident, when a small group of protesters blocked his path as he walked through Charlotte, leading to a tense altercation. Koch has reportedly walked with protesters and was also pictured kneeling alongside them.
On Monday, Koch was surrounded by protesters in front of the local government center and was asked to leave. As he walked away, they followed him. A white male protester then shoved him to the ground, leading to a brawl.
The incident was shared by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), which tweeted: "Capt. Brad Koch being assaulted in broad daylight today by protestors at the Char-Meck Government Center". A protester, identified as James Marciano, has been arrested and charged with assault on a government official, resisting a public officer and disorderly conduct. It released pictures of the other suspects involved in Monday's incident.
Demarco Blair, the African-American man seen in the video diffusing the situation and shielding Koch, described him as a " good man" and the only officer who walked with them. He added that he is a black man but he could not get any black cops to march with them, Associated Press reported.
Blair said that he was criticized as he tried to diffuse the situation. According to him, such serious altercations will aggravate the already strained relationship between police officers and the black men.
Koch saw himself in the middle of another spat with protesters on Sunday night. As he walked through Charlotte, a group of protesters blocked his path. Officers soon arrived at the scene and diffused the situation. The CMPD thanked the protesters who protected Koch and looked after him until officers arrived.
