Protestors entered the Gulfport City Hall building and chanted from the lobby. The protesters did not comply with requests to exit the building and employees called the police, according to the Sun Herald. Protestors eventually went outside where the arrests were made.
Mississippi police arrest 5 people after a dispute broke out in city hall between officers and protesters. People were protesting for Jaheim McMillan, a 15-year-old who was shot by police.
In video footage of the arrests reviewed by the newspaper, police officers are seen wrestling one woman to the ground and restraining her with zip ties. In a news release, The Gulfport Police Department wrote that protestors "escalated the situation to the point where staff members were in fear for their safety." One officer was hit with a bullhorn, the department said.
The five protestors who were arrested were charged with between nine and 12 offenses, including assault, obstructing sidewalks and desecration of national flags.
Gulfport police said in a news release that McMillan was shot after they responded to a 911 call about several minors waving guns at other drivers. McMillan’s family doesn’t believe he was armed and has demanded the release of footage of the shooting for months.
Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes told WLOX-TV that he expects the footage to be released "by the end of this month."