New book looks at Des Moines police response to 2020 protests, asks for better relationship

Nonprofit Just Voices Iowa has published the results of a two-year study on the 2020 George Floyd protests in Des Moines. Titled "The People's History: Volume 1," the study released last month as a free online book chronicles the civil unrest that unfolded in the city after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis who died on May 25, 2020, at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin.

"Something about seeing a man slowly killed for 9 minutes and 46 seconds while he pleaded for his life and called out to his dead mother was the epitome of hate and evil," the book's introduction reads. "Like a volcano erupting, gushes of anger, tears of sadness and cries for justice sprang up. America once again called for real police reform and most of all, we demanded justice for George Floyd."

Des Moines became the site of more than 40 protests that summer. Nine broke out over the final weekend of May, with police arresting 71 people, Just Voices found. Most faced charges of disorderly conduct, failure to disperse or participation in a riot. Interviews with demonstrators detail their interactions with police while images of their bruises give a glimpse of what they endured and the healing journey they say they're still navigating.

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In the book, Just Voices, an organization that seeks to document what it alleges are examples of racially biased policing in Des Moines, noted the purpose of this analysis: To use the past to piece together a better future — "forward together."

"We are calling on the city and DMPD to work with us and the community at large to move forward together and build trust between neighbors and the police," it reads. "Certainly, community engagement will go a long way towards better policing."

Here are other highlights from the book:

Authors intend 'The People's History' to improve policing, public safety

"The People's History" is a project that closely examines the way the Des Moines Police Department handled the protests during the summer of 2020, nonprofit founder and retired attorney Harvey Harrison said.

The project is intended to create "an impetus for change at the Des Moines Police Department," the introduction says. "We believe these firsthand accounts are critical evidence that can be used to improve policing and public safety."

Harrison had successfully sued the city on behalf of Just Voices to obtain the department's use-of-force records from the 2020 protests, which include DMPD's response to the chaotic and at times violent protests that occurred. He's still awaiting the records.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Harrison explained that the book is Just Voices' version of an "after-action review." That's a process, he explained, recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and usually performed after a major incident.

21st Century Policing Solutions, a consulting firm contracted by the city, reported last year that DMPD officers and leaders said they did do "after-action activities" to learn from the 2020 protests, but the lessons weren't "broadly or publicly shared." The firm also noted the feedback it received from community stakeholders, who said they were concerned about those first few days after the protests broke out but that the department's performance improved "significantly" after.

Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesperson for the Des Moines Police Department, said he couldn't comment on the Just Voices report pending protesters' litigation against the city.

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Harrison told the Register he hopes public officials would grab hold of the book and use it as a "springboard" to foster a better relationship between the police department and the community, especially among Black residents. The book's results can be a supplement to the recent recommendations made by 21st Century and Public Works LLC, another department consultant.

Doing that, Harrison believes, would lead to positive action.

"It will reduce risks to police officers. It will reduce the cost of policing," he said. "And it will require a transformation of looking at policing as a public health issue, which is what I think the current thinking across the country is coming to."

An overview of Just Voices' findings

Research and data collected by Just Voices found:

• A total of 208 people were arrested in the summer of 2020

• The top 4 charges people faced were failure to disperse, rioting, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief ranging from the first- to fifth-degree

• Many of those charges were dismissed, and most people whose cases did go to trial were found not guilty by a judge or jury.

Protesters share stories, suffer physical, emotional pain

Harrison said he was surprised to learn from protesters how they continue to carry their experiences from that summer in 2020. Harrison pointed to Zach Humble, one of several protesters Just Voices interviewed for the book.

Humble, in the book, opened up about being pepper sprayed by police at a rally in June 2020. He said it happened as he approached police officers who were "attacking a street medic." He recalled being debilitated by the pain from the spray — his mind, motor skills quickly "shut off" — and immediately feeling the cuffs around his wrists. While in jail and even after being released a day later, Humble remembered his eyesight was still impaired.

Humble also said he struggled to cope with the incident months after and at one point had contemplated suicide. Through therapy, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is now working on turning his life around.

"If we had done these reports in just a few months, published it and walked away from it," Harrison explained, "then I don't think we would have gotten the full measure of how impactful the police response was."

Former Des Moines mayoral candidate Denver Foote, who uses they/them pronouns, also shared the emotional distress they endured while healing from physical injuries they say came from an encounter with police at a May 2020 protest. In the book, with photos of their bruises on display, Foote also recalled being pepper sprayed by an officer and later beaten by more officers with batons. They said they saw police with large shields "kettling" people on both sides of an alley as they were searching for safety. They said police thought they were resisting arrest.

Like Humble, Foote later sought help to work through the experience. They said they had PTSD and have permanent nerve damage. Panic attacks became more frequent at the sight of police officers. But as they reflected, Foote told Just Voices about returning to volunteer work, participating in mutual aid efforts, and starting a grassroots organization with friends.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter@writefelissa.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: New book looks at Des Moines police response to 2020 protests