BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office and the City of Bloomington Legal Department have opened an investigation after protesters reported a community service specialist vehicle bumped into them while crossing Walnut Street during a protest Tuesday.
Community service specialists are unsworn officers for the Bloomington Police Department who do not carry guns or badges and primarily respond to minor incidents in the city, like minimal injury crashes.
In a video obtained by IUSTV News, which has already been sent to police for the investigation, protesters could be seen approaching, and then crossing Walnut Street at the intersection with Sixth Street. The video shows that the large group was still crossing through the intersection when the light for traffic on Walnut was green.
As the person recording the video approaches and starts crossing the intersection, the community service specialist vehicle appears to move forward into the protesters, who could be heard shouting at the driver. One protester said “We saw that.”
The video then zooms into the passenger side window and shows the community service specialist officer covering their face from the camera. Since the incident is still under investigation, IUSTV News did not publish that part of the video.
According to a release from the Bloomington Police Department, investigators immediately searched for surveillance footage in the area that may have record the incident, and have interviewed witnesses who saw what happened.
The release said that police are continuing to ask for additional video footage and witness interviews.
