15 - February 2023 APD Recording Release

APD NEWS RELEASE - Asheville Police Release Aston Park Protest Body Cam Footage

Asheville, NC (Feb. 27, 2023): The Asheville Police Department has released video footage from the late December 2021 Aston Park protest. 

These videos are body-worn camera footage from multiple police officers who responded to the demonstration, after the park closure, on the night of December 25, 2021. Six people were arrested that night for 2nd Degree Trespassing. Some were charged with resisting arrest.  

Activists dumped thousands of pounds of garbage in Aston Park during a protest which they described as a family art event. The abandoned property included furniture, a kitchen sink, and tires, among many other items.

“The ACLU requested the video, and we willingly complied. We believe the public has a right to see this video of police officers doing their job and upholding the law,” said Chief David Zack.

Following the incident and a two-month investigation, detectives charged 16 with Felony Littering and Aid & Abet Felony Littering for illegally dumping over 2,000 pounds of items into the park.

Videos #1-14 and #25 capture interactions with protestors. All other videos capture small miscellaneous footage.

[alan]

Obvious abuse of homeless and free press by fascist cops, proving fascism of mayor, tourists, and transplant gentry housing speculators. I bet some very conservative communities do less suppression by quietly spending smaller percentages of town budgets on police, though to some extent, such police cuts are enabled by an armed citizenry, who can easily refuse to abuse the homeless, unlike cops, who would be fired for doing so. Fascist city council and mayor are directly responsible for budgeting and ordering this.
If you pickk up litter, they'll raise your rent.