The Lockefield Garden Riot was a riot in Indianapolis, Indiana that occurred in 1969. Following racial tensions between Black residents and the police, the riot lasted two days, from Thursday, June 5 to Saturday June 7. The riot began when two police officers responded to a call about an alleged fight and reactions to their presence escalated. The riot resulted in the destruction of buildings and a number of arrests, but was eventually deescalated.
Lockefield Garden was the first public housing complex built in Indianapolis by the Public Works Administration, spanning from 1935 to 1938. The building is located in present day Downtown Indianapolis, near the notable Indiana Avenue district. The complex was predominately Black and a significant cultural place for Black people in Indianapolis.[1]
In the 1960s, Black people in Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) had an increasingly strained relationship as the police often surveilled and intimidated Black communities, especially those who they thought to have a significant participation in the Black Power Movement. [2] The police worked to stifle any types of “black militancy” or any actions that seemed to go against white authority.[2] They especially put a focus on predominantly Black Muslim communities through hyper-surveillance and deeming them extremist.[2] With growing tensions, leaders from the Black community approached the mayor to ask for an independent and unbiased task force to review the biased actions in the police department.[2] The mayor at the time, John J. Barton, did not respond favorably to these requests and chose not to go forward. With a similar reaction from the next mayor, Richard G. Lugar, there became more of divide between the Black community and government authorities.[2]
This divide was further exaggerated by the arrival of the local chapter of the Black Panther Party, a pro-Black community organization. Their connection to Black power organizing led to the increase in police surveillance.[2] In March 1969, two Black Panthers in the local chapter were convicted with the conspiracy to murder the Indianapolis police chief, Winston L. Churchill.[2] These convictions caused further tensions in the surrounding community,[1] and the riot was "...thought by some to be in retaliation for the conviction of the two panthers."[2]
El jueves 5 de junio de 1969 se produjo una supuesta pelea entre dos desconocidos que la policía de Indianápolis fue llamada a disolver. [3] [1] Cuando llegaron los agentes de policía, "un grupo de veinte personas atacó a los agentes". [3] Los oficiales resultaron levemente heridos y en este conflicto les robaron uno de sus revólveres y sus placas de identificación. [3] El periódico afroamericano The Indianapolis Recorder , informó que los residentes afirmaron, en un intento de detener a los jóvenes que robaron el revólver, "... uno de los oficiales disparó una ráfaga de tres tiros en dirección a un grupo de jugar a los niños..." [4] Aunque la policía negó todas las acusaciones. [4] Cuando llegaron más policías para ayudar a los dos policías que estaban allí, la multitud comenzó a arrojarles piedras, ladrillos y botellas junto con otros autos que pasaban. [2] [3] [4]
Hubo cientos de alborotadores que comenzaron a saquear y destruir negocios y edificios alrededor del complejo. Uno de los momentos más severos durante los disturbios fue el incendio que se inició en el Lockefield Big 10 Market, que estaba ubicado a dos cuadras del complejo. Los alborotadores arrojaron gasolina al techo, lo que provocó un gran incendio. [2] [4] El edificio estuvo ardiendo durante aproximadamente una hora, ante la multitud, que tuvo que ser convencida por organizadores y activistas comunitarios para que dejaran pasar a los bomberos para que pudieran apagar el fuego. Sin embargo, cuando los bomberos accedieron al edificio, éste estaba casi completamente destruido. [4]
También hay informes de negocios locales en el área que fueron asaltados, destrozados y saqueados durante las dos noches. Estos negocios incluían una lavandería, una tienda de discos, una tienda de hombres y muchos más. La mayoría de estos negocios estaban cerca del complejo y del distrito de Indiana Ave. [4]
La segunda noche, el IMPD llegó con una mayor cantidad de agentes de policía que trabajaron en turnos largos para tratar de sofocar los disturbios usando más fuerza. [3] La policía y los alborotadores tuvieron un gran enfrentamiento, donde la policía realizó muchos arrestos. [4] Casi al mismo tiempo que se produjeron los arrestos masivos, francotiradores civiles comenzaron a disparar desde la azotea del edificio Lockefield Garden. [3] Rozaron a un detective, Al Watkin, y le dispararon a Andrew Martin, un residente negro, en la pierna. Un helicóptero apuntó su luz hacia el tejado, intentando exponer a los francotiradores, compartieron algunos disparos y los francotiradores finalmente se retiraron. [3]
A significant amount of praise was given to youth who were part of the neighborhood center, Our Place, as they helped to patrol the streets Friday night and Saturday. They urged cooperation with police and for people to go back to their homes.[4] After chasing away looters, the Black Panther Party helped to keep down a fire before firemen arrived.[4] Due to mass arrest, and the significant influence of Black activists, organizers, and leaders to peace keeping, the riots came to an end around 5 a.m. on that Saturday.[4] Hinton states that "By the time the riot was over, two police officers in addition to Watkins was injured."[3] However, the amount of those injured by the police are unknown.[3]
More than 80 people were arrested and taken to jail.[4] Due to the fact that a significant portion of the rioters were youth,[4] those in the area were given a chance to “air their grievances.” [2] This meeting was arranged by Flanner House, a community organization on the Northwest side of Indianapolis. In the meeting, they focused on the treatment of Black residents from the police. The community requested recurring meetings with the police and the community to discuss the tension in the relationship.[4] One of the proposed solutions was that a significant portion of the police patrols were removed and only the presence of AA officers be allowed. [1][4] There were a few instances of firebombing and vandalism in various parts of Indianapolis in the days following, but nothing to the extent of a riot.[4] This riot promoted other riots in Indiana like one in Kokomo, where they had racial troubles as well.[2][3]
While this riot did illuminate the racial tensions in the city and the tension between police and Black people, it also was the start of the deterioration of the area.[2] Some of the businesses affected, like the Big Ten Market, stated that they would not reopen again.[2]