Still no resolution from sheriff on Turnstile pepper spray controversy
The scene of a Richmond Sheriff’s Office employee pepper spraying a young concert-goer on Brown’s Island was captured on video at a public event attended by thousands.
But it’s been a long wait for anyone expecting the sheriff’s office to say anything substantive about it.
The pepper spray incident during a performance of popular hardcore band Turnstile made national headlines and angered concert organizers who felt it was a shockingly inappropriate use of force.
Graham Moomaw
Video footage shows a man in a sheriff’s office uniform spraying the teenager directly in the face as he attempted to climb onstage, even though the band seemed to be inviting fans to come over the barriers.
In the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 24 concert, Sheriff Antionette Irving announced there would be an internal investigation. As of early December, Irving said that investigation remains ongoing.
Graham Moomaw
The sheriff has not answered questions about whether the staffer who used the spray has faced any disciplinary action.
The situation highlights gaps in independent methods for holding law enforcement accountable.
The sheriff’s office has denied some requests for public records related to the incident, citing an exemption in Virginia’s transparency laws that allows officials to block the release of documents related to internal law enforcement investigations into possible wrongdoing.
Richmond recently created a Civilian Review Board to bring some measure of outside accountability for law enforcement. However, that board focuses only on the Richmond Police Department and has no jurisdiction over the sheriff’s office.
“Any matters involving the Sheriff’s Office would fall under their own internal processes and oversight mechanisms,” said Civilian Review Board Manager Joseph N. Lowery.
The Review Board is empowered to look into “accusations of physical and verbal abuse” by police. The board cannot do its own oversight of an accusation if the police are already conducting an internal investigation against the officer, but the board can review the results of internal investigations as an outside check on law enforcement to ensure disciplinary action occurs when appropriate.
Irving has not said if she will publicly release the result of the pepper spray investigation when her review is complete.
The Broadberry Entertainment Group, the local company that organized the Richmond Turnstile show, has also declined to say much publicly, saying it too is waiting to hear what the sheriff’s office has to say.
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org
