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Richmond protest organizer charged with assaulting officer released from jail

Posted at 12:58 PM, Jun 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-15 13:37:01-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond protest organizer appeared in court Monday morning after being arrested at a Sunday demonstration.

Protesters made their way from Monroe Park to the Richmond Police headquarters Sunday night, demanding action be taken after a video surfaced online showing a Richmond Police SUV pushing through a group of protesters near the Lee monument. Police said officers in their SUV were "trapped by protesters" before being attacked near the Lee statue in Richmond Saturday night.

Videos on social media from Sunday night show protesters being warned by police not to advance any further or they would deploy. In one of the videos, you see a person being arrested.

Protesters yelled the organizer was being taken into custody.

According to court documents, the organizer is 22-year-old Michaela Hatton. Who is seen in one video being sprayed in the face by chemicals and pulled into custody.

Hatton was charged with felony assault and battery on an officer and felony inciting others to riot.

She was released on a $5,000 bond on her own personal recognizance. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July.

After Hatton's arrest, protesters engaged in an hourslong standoff with officers.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that police first shot a chemical agent into the crowd around 10 p.m. Sunday, and it was deployed again against a smaller crowd as the demonstration continued into Monday.

CBS 6 has reached out to police for more details as to what transpired before Hatton was taken into custody. We are currently waiting for a response.

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