Fort Worth may extend curfew through the weekend. Here’s what you should know
Fort Worth residents will remain under a curfew into next week if the City Council approves a resolution extending the state of emergency Mayor Betsy Price declared following a standoff with police and protesters on the West 7th Street bridge.
The resolution leads Thursday’s 3 p.m. council meeting and extends Price’s mandate through June 9. The citywide curfew begins at 8 p.m. each night and runs until 6 a.m. the following morning.
Price enacted the curfew Monday after police used tear gas to disperse a crowd on the West 7th bridge. Hours of peaceful protests came to an end late Sunday when some marchers threw waters bottles and chunks of ice into a police line blocking access to the Cultural District. A firework was also shot at police, Chief Ed Kraus said. After telling the crowd to leave, police first deployed flash bangs and smoke but ultimately turned to tear gas for the first time in decades.
Despite the curfew, marches Monday and Tuesday, which lasted well past 8 p.m., ended peacefully with officers, including Kraus, kneeling with protesters and shaking hands. In both cases, many protesters left at curfew.
The curfew bans all travel, including walking and biking, after 8 p.m. unless for school, work or medical treatment. It is enforceable through a $500 fine and a misdemeanor charge.
In announcing the curfew Monday, Kraus said officers would focus on large groups that continue to gather after sundown. He hoped to avoid arrest by working with those who stay out past curfew, he said. Kraus said Tuesday the 8 p.m. deadline was chosen so crowds would disperse before the sun sets.
George Floyd died May 25 in the custody of Minneapolis police after an officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. The death sparked nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and racism.
In the Fort Worth area, protests also focused on the October death of Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old black woman. Jefferson was shot in her home by a white officer, Aaron Dean, who resigned. Dean was indicted on a murder charge in December.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 11:26 AM.
