STAMFORD — Three of the six people arrested during a march held last summer to protest the 2019 death of Stamford resident Steven Barrier who died while in police custody have had the charges dropped.
Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Moran dropped charges during a pretrial hearing held at Stamford Superior Court Monday.
The three individuals each faced interfering with police and breach of peace of charges that came as tensions between police and protesters boiled over during a clash on Broad Street following a march for police reform and accountability in Stamford on Aug. 8, 2019.
Attorney Phillip Russell, who represented the three, said he is happy with the state’s decision not to pursue the case.
“We’re glad that they can go back to living their lives without any stain of the accusations made by the state,” Russell said.
Under the nolle agreement, the three defendants acknowledged that there was probable cause for their arrests. This acknowledgment prevents any of them from filing false arrest claims against the Stamford Police Department, officials said.
Six people were arrested in the wake of the march; by the end of the protest, officers and demonstrators alike claimed injuries.
In the aftermath, police claimed the marchers had acted in a provocative manner and disobeyed police instruction to disperse and re-open streets to traffic.
The demonstrators, however, say police officers were aggressive and used excessive force on non-violent protesters as they were dispersing.
Ultimately, five individuals were charged with interfering with police and breach of peace, while one woman faced an additional charge of inciting a riot.
In March, the Stamford Mass Defense Coalition launched an online petition calling on the state to drop all charges against people arrested during the march. The petition garnered nearly 2,000 signatures and prompted a protest outside of Stamford’s Government Center.
Since then, four of the six arrested individuals have had their charges dropped.
One remaining defendant is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 18
The other is a 23-year-old Greenwich native who faces charges of inciting a riot, interfering with police and breach of peace.
“We have not come to an agreement on that, and it’s too early to say how that will resolve,” said Russell, who also represents the Greenwich native.
Russell’s client is next scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 9.
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State drops charges against three people arrested during Stamford protest - The Advocate
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