Complaint alleges Newton police ‘targeted, singled-out’ Black spectators during Boston Marathon

NEWTON, Mass. — A new complaint alleges that Newton police officers “targeted and singled-out” Black spectators who were assembled along the Boston Marathon route on Monday with “surveillance and aggressive treatment.”

Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston says it has received requests for legal assistance from both marathon spectators and runners who have corroborated racial profiling complaints against the Newton Police Department, according to a demand letter that was sent to the City of Newton.

On race day, Mike Remy posted a YouTube video that showed a heavy police presence along the route at mile 21 along Commonwealth Avenue. In the video, Remy said Newton officers on patrol bikes blocked a group of primarily Black spectators from the Marathon course.

Some people questioned whether the group of spectators, made up of members of The TrailblazHers Run Co. and Pioneers Run Crew, was being unfairly policed, but Newton police said the response was in connection with loud music that was being played at a chaotic scene.

Officials react to social media video of increased police presence along marathon route in Newton

In response to the questioning, Newton police said in a statement, “After being notified by the B.A.A three times about spectators traversing the rope barrier and impeding runners, the Newton Police Department responded respectfully and repeatedly requesting that spectators stay behind the rope and not encroach onto the course. When spectators continued to cross the rope, NPD with additional officers calmly used bicycles for a short period to demarcate the course and keep both the runners and spectators safe.”

Those who reached out to LCR see a different story, claiming police set out to block Black people from cheering the Marathon participants “based on their race and identity.”

“Affected individuals consistently describe a barricade of police officers monitoring and surrounding Black spectators,” LCR said in a statement. “Police did this to Black observers, but not to other spectators.”

In the letter, LCR also demanded an independent investigation of police surveillance and law enforcement tactics during the Marathon.

The TrailblazHers Run Co. and Pioneers Run Crew have also demanded an apology from police and city officials.

Neighbors in the area told Boston 25 that their homes were shaking from the music and confetti was littered across their lawns.

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