One Arrest at GOP Convention When Man Grabs Trooper's Gas Mask

Cleveland, OH — Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said police made only one arrest on Sunday, a possibly disturbed man who grabbed a state trooper's gas mask. His comments came Monday morning at a 10 a.m. press briefing, during which he addressed the size of police deployments, interaction with protesters, and the presence of openly carried firearms near the convention site.

Williams said no threats have been made against the Republican convention and no violence or property damage took place.

"There have been no real threats to the convention, to the city or to the division of police itself," Williams said.

Also on Patch

• Republican National Convention a Crowning Achievement for Donald Trump
• Patch's LIVE GOP Convention Blog

The chief was asked about the size of the police deployment during Sunday's protests, and whether the large number of officers was necessary.

"We want to make sure that the demonstrators are safe walking through the streets of the city of Cleveland, and we want to make sure we have enough officers to respond if things turn otherwise," Williams said.

He said police try to be proactive on the scene in dealing with protesters.

"We constantly communicate with who we perceive to be the leaders of these marches and protests," Williams said, "and we try to get them to comply when things start to get a little bit out of hand or unsafe for the general public."

Police are wearing a type of gear not often seen on officers. It's lighter than the heavy-duty riot gear people typically associate with deployments alongside protests and demonstrations. Many officers also are very clearly wearing GoPro cameras on top of their helmets.

"Just so everyone is clear, the city of Cleveland does not have 'riot gear,'" Williams said. "We have personal protective equipment."

The chief likened the gear to that worn by Motocross or BMX bike racers. Williams said the gear is new and was purchased for the convention.

Earlier in the morning, Donald Trump's campaign chairman said violence on the streets of Cleveland "will probably help the campaign." Paul Manafort spoke at a breakfast sponsored by Bloomberg Politics.

There are 15,000 journalists covering the convention. Given the clashes that have broken out at Trump rallies during the primary season, including a chaotic turn of events in Chicago at the University of Illinois-Chicago campus, many expect trouble will break out eventually during this four-day event.

With Ohio being an open-carry state, people are free to carry guns and rifles in public. That complicates the policing of such a large, issue-intensive event.

Cleveland had asked the governor to suspend open-carry for the convention, but the governor's staff said he does not have that legal power.

Williams said a security tip line is in place and manned by the FBI: 1-800-225-5324.

"We encourage people to use that tip line if they see something suspicious," Williams said.

Photo: Patch file