Officers told stand aside as 'Silent Sam' fell, report says

Officers told stand aside as 'Silent Sam' fell, report says:
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — A police chief assisting with crowd control during a protest at the University of North Carolina told his officers to stand aside as protesters tore down a century-old Confederate monument, according to documents obtained by a television station.
The messages obtained by WRAL-TV show Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue closely monitored the Aug. 20 protest as his officers backed up the UNC police force that takes the lead in policing the Chapel Hill campus.
...During the protest around the statue known as “Silent Sam” in a main campus quad, Blue instructed officers “Let’s give them lots of space” and “stay way out,” the messages show.
At one point Blue sent a message saying Chapel Hill officers were “too close.”
Shortly thereafter protesters pulled down the statue..."
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