AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — On Wednesday evening, the Aurora Police Department addressed growing concerns over their handling of a recent school walkout, releasing an updated statement on the incident.
The response came after a protest erupted at the police station Tuesday night, sparked by footage showing officers detaining students from East Aurora High School during Monday’s events.
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To protect the identities of the minors involved, ABC7 has obscured their faces in the videos. According to police, these clips do not provide a complete picture of the situation.
Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas stated, “Officers encountered persistent resistance while attempting to detain individuals. Despite the ongoing resistance, no excessive force was employed beyond the necessary takedown to finalize the arrests.”
The department promises a comprehensive review of the incident to ensure all actions adhered to their policies.
On Tuesday, young activists rallied, demanding the resignation of the west suburban police chief, following the Monday protest that resulted in three student arrests and an officer sustaining injuries.
READ MORE | Demonstrators gather at Aurora PD after video shows officers, students clashing at anti-ICE protest
One of the boys arrested and charged told ABC7 that he complied with officers and still was tackled to the ground.
Chief Thomas issued the following full statement:
“After an initial review of Monday’s student walkouts, I want to provide the community with additional context regarding the progression of events that ultimately led to last night’s protest at Simmons Park.
“The videos currently circulating publicly represent only a brief excerpt from a nearly three-hour-long incident. While the initial intent of the walkout was to be a peaceful protest – an activity we fully respect and recognize as a protected form of expression – the situation later escalated in ways that created public safety concerns.
“Aurora Police Department personnel made repeated efforts to facilitate the protest safely and worked to gain voluntary compliance from students when they entered and remained in active roadways. The department was also in constant communication with school officials who were on scene trying to gain compliance. Students were given multiple opportunities to move out of traffic and continue their demonstration in a safe manner, but those directives were refused. As the incident progressed, officers observed rocks and water bottles being thrown at police vehicles, physical altercations breaking out among students, intimidation of passing motorists, and reckless driving occurring in close proximity to the crowd. Officers continued to provide verbal warnings and advised enforcement action would follow if the unsafe behavior continued.
“At that point, enforcement action was determined to be necessary to restore safety and prevent further harm. These decisions were not made lightly and were based on the totality of circumstances unfolding over an extended period of time. Officers coordinated a measured response focused on identifying individuals contributing to the unlawful behavior and issuing local ordinance citations in an effort to gain compliance and stabilize the situation.
“An officer then approached two individuals who had been identified as primary contributors to the ongoing unsafe and unlawful behavior. Despite clear verbal direction, the encounter quickly escalated when the two individuals pulled away and actively attempted to evade the officer, prompting several additional officers to come to that officer’s assistance.
“Video shared online shows an officer tackling one of the individuals who appeared to be compliant. However, brief video clips do not capture the full sequence of events. Officers were encountering active and ongoing resistance as they attempted to take individuals into custody. No additional force beyond the takedown was used to complete the arrests despite continued active resistance from those involved.
“A third individual then entered the incident and punched an officer in the head while that officer was attempting to take another person into custody. The offender was later treated for a hand injury sustained while punching the officer, and the officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a head injury requiring six staples. Several other involved officers were also injured and received medical attention.
“It is important to note we had two other student walkouts that same day at different high schools. In those instances, students remained on the sidewalks, complied with officer direction, and the events were managed safely with only a couple of officers assigned to monitor each gathering. There were no enforcement issues.
“In contrast, this incident was markedly different. Participants repeatedly entered and remained in active roadways for an extended period of time and refused repeated directives to move. As a result of that dangerous behavior, more than 20 officers were required to manage traffic control, block intersections, anticipate crowd movement, and respond to disturbances. We were also required to hold over an additional shift of officers due to the length and impact of the event.
“As with any use of force, this incident will undergo a thorough review that includes examination of all available video, reports, and evidence to ensure actions taken were consistent with department policy, training, and the law. Because the individuals taken into custody are minors, the Illinois Juvenile Court Act strictly limits the release of law enforcement records, including video footage, related to juvenile offenders. The department remains committed to transparency, accountability, and continued engagement with our community while complying with all applicable legal and privacy requirements.
“The Aurora Police Department remains firmly committed to respecting everyone’s constitutional right to peacefully protest, including students. That commitment must also be balanced with our responsibility to protect the safety of those participating, as well as the broader community.
“We appreciate that last night’s gathering concluded without further incident and thank those who demonstrated peacefully and responsibly, while helping to maintain a safe environment. We encourage all members of our community – especially our young people – to continue expressing their voices in ways that are peaceful, lawful, and respectful of others.”
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