Protesters march in Dallas, police keep them off I-35E

DALLAS – At its peak, more than 250 protesters marched through downtown, Victory Park, and Dealey Plaza as police officers formed several human blockades to prevent them from walking on to Interstate 35E Thursday night.

The grand jury decision in New York not to indict police officers there for using a chokehold that killed a man named Eric Garner sparked the Dallas march and many others like it across the country. Garner was suspected of selling cigarettes without a tax stamp before the NYPD forcibly put him on the ground, as you can see in cell phone video of the entire confrontation.

The marchers in Dallas met at police headquarters on Lamar St. at 7:30 p.m. It began with several people in the crowd sharing stories with a megaphone before the group took to the street.

This march was more organized than previous ones, went farther, and even had two private security guards helping steer the crowd.

The protesters initially marched north on Lamar into downtown, many with their hands in the air shouting "Hands up, don't shoot!," a popular refrain in the protests and riots that followed a Missouri grand jury's decision not to charge former police officer Darren Wilson with a crime in the shooting of Michael Brown last month.

The Dallas march Thursday was loud, but peaceful.

They traveled more than a mile to Victory Park, where the singer Usher was performing in a concert at the American Airlines Center. Once arriving at the front doors of the venue, dozens of them laid down on the ground.

But after a few minutes, the group – still chanting – walked north past the concert venue toward I-35E and Hi Line Drive. As a precaution, Dallas police temporarily closed the freeway as several protesters tried to walk up an off-ramp.

The protesters were not successful.

Officers used zip ties to detain one woman in the back of a police car.

In one of the tensest moments of the night, protesters surrounded the car as police closed in, as well. But for some reason, after a few minutes, officers opened the back door, pulled the woman out, and set her free as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Dallas police had a heavy presence in downtown streets as they tried to stay ahead of the marchers and alert traffic that people were approaching. They showed restraint, as in previous demonstrations, and did not engage the crowd.

But the group walked back into downtown, where they made an abrupt turn into Dealey Plaza and began heading to I-35E, where they successfully shut down the freeway ten days ago following the Missouri grand jury decision.

Police raced in front of them, parked their cars in the street, and formed a human blockade below the triple underpass to stop protesters from advancing any closer to the interstate.

Protesters angry that a New York grand jury did not indict a police officer in the death of Eric Garner took to the streets Thursday to voice their displeasure, which led to some tense moments with police. News 8's Jason Whitely reports from the scene.

A police supervisor, carrying a riot shield, told officers that if anyone penetrates the police line, arrest them. One person was arrested immediately for doing that.

As protesters squared off with police in that standoff, several women refused to get out of the street after officers ordered it. Police then arrested at least three more people.

The crowd turned back and walked into downtown, heading east on Commerce. Police reported several protesters throwing objects along that street, though News 8 could not independently verify that. There were no reports of any damage or injuries.

After winding through a few streets, the remaining protesters - numbering about 50 - slowly made their way back to Lamar St. and over to Dallas police headquarters.

Four hours after the demonstration began, a much smaller group returned.

Those arrested will likely be charged with "obstruction of a passageway," according to Pete Schulte, a Dallas defense attorney.

"That statute has been used more for arrests in the last 10 days," he said, "than in the last several years."

It's a Class B misdemeanor, Schulte explained, and punishable by up to six months in prison or a $2,000 fine.

The city of Dallas has had its own issues with excessive force, and just this year, has already paid out more than $6 million in settlements. But more cases are pending, which could push that figure even higher before the end of the year.

Still, Dallas Police Chief David Brown has taken steps to be more transparent. The department recently put all of its officer-involved shooting statistics and synopses on its website.

Chief Brown is also currently testing body cameras for officers, which many critics have called for across the country.