While peacefully protesting on the sidewalk, the FWPD decked out in SWAT gear formed a line and blocked me and my friends’ path to leave and threw 3 cans of tear gas. After the initial burn, we were able to leave. We had to abandon our signs and try to get to our car. Officers were driving down the streets looking for anyone with signs and stopping and getting out of their squad cars. I’m not sure what they did, but we got out of there ASAP. Ever since then I’ve been going to protests with my face fully covered, with no signs, in fear of getting profiled and arrested.
Community-submitted accounts of police brutality during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Fort Wayne, Indiana.