Police: No Proof Of Credible Threats
August 14, 2020 at 8:10 p.m.
Police: No Proof Of Credible Threats
By David [email protected]
According to the statement, “The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office, Warsaw Police Department and the Indiana State Police are aware of threats that have been posted across social media platforms. This situation has been closely monitored and there is nothing at this time that has proven credible.”
The release states Kosciusko County's law enforcement community is unified in its mission and commitment to protecting its citizens, visitors and businesses. In the event of a change in circumstances, the public will be immediately notified.
“We greatly appreciate the support and concern we have received,” the release concludes.
Arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction of traffic were Frank Sensabaugh, also known as Frank Nitty, 39; Eric Ajala, 20; and Tory Lowe, 44, all of Milwaukee, Wis. Each of their bonds was set at $300 and they have since bonded out. Lowe also was charged with a misdemeanor for resisting law enforcement.
By Friday, the three people and their caravan were out of Indiana and on their way to the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and a rally led by the Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Aug. 28. Nitty and his group left Milwaukee Aug. 4, with their march attracting national attention.
The group arrived in Warsaw Monday night and stayed until Wednesday, taking a rest day at a local hotel.
According to a news release from ISP Wednesday night, police arrested the trio around 6 p.m. on U.S. 30 for intentionally obstructing traffic on a divided highway with a speed limit of 60 mph. ISP says central dispatch began receiving calls of traffic backed up for miles in the eastbound lanes of the highway.
Troopers spoke to Sensabaugh, the group’s leader, explaining that the group he was leading was creating a dangerous situation with both vehicles and pedestrians traveling at walking speed on U.S. 30. Troopers explained to the group that they were welcome to continue on with both pedestrians and vehicles traveling on the shoulder, the release states. Purportedly, the group failed to comply and continued walking eastbound with eastbound traffic continuing to back up for approximately seven miles.
The group was again approached on U.S. 30 near CR 900 East where it was again explained that the group could not continue to travel in the right lane impeding traffic. It was at this point that Nitty, Ajala and Lowe were arrested.
Nitty and his fellow travelers disputed the ISP’s version of the story.
It was immediately after the arrests near Whitley County that posts on social media from Black Lives Matter supporters began to appear suggesting people should descend on Warsaw and tear it down because of the “racist” arrests.
In response to those BLM posts, local residents began calling for an armed defense of the city. One post asked for 1,000 armed residents to come to Warsaw’s defense.
Since the death of George Floyd in May by a Milwaukee police officer, protests have sprung up all across the globe against racism, police brutality and other related issues. Kosciusko County hosted four rallies, with three in Warsaw and one in Winona Lake, and all of those were peaceful. The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office, Warsaw Police Department and the Indiana State Police are aware of threats that have been posted across social media platforms. This situation has been closely monitored and there is nothing at this time that has proven credible, according to a news release Friday afternoon from the KCSO.
According to the statement, “The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office, Warsaw Police Department and the Indiana State Police are aware of threats that have been posted across social media platforms. This situation has been closely monitored and there is nothing at this time that has proven credible.”
The release states Kosciusko County's law enforcement community is unified in its mission and commitment to protecting its citizens, visitors and businesses. In the event of a change in circumstances, the public will be immediately notified.
“We greatly appreciate the support and concern we have received,” the release concludes.
Arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction of traffic were Frank Sensabaugh, also known as Frank Nitty, 39; Eric Ajala, 20; and Tory Lowe, 44, all of Milwaukee, Wis. Each of their bonds was set at $300 and they have since bonded out. Lowe also was charged with a misdemeanor for resisting law enforcement.
By Friday, the three people and their caravan were out of Indiana and on their way to the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech and a rally led by the Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Aug. 28. Nitty and his group left Milwaukee Aug. 4, with their march attracting national attention.
The group arrived in Warsaw Monday night and stayed until Wednesday, taking a rest day at a local hotel.
According to a news release from ISP Wednesday night, police arrested the trio around 6 p.m. on U.S. 30 for intentionally obstructing traffic on a divided highway with a speed limit of 60 mph. ISP says central dispatch began receiving calls of traffic backed up for miles in the eastbound lanes of the highway.
Troopers spoke to Sensabaugh, the group’s leader, explaining that the group he was leading was creating a dangerous situation with both vehicles and pedestrians traveling at walking speed on U.S. 30. Troopers explained to the group that they were welcome to continue on with both pedestrians and vehicles traveling on the shoulder, the release states. Purportedly, the group failed to comply and continued walking eastbound with eastbound traffic continuing to back up for approximately seven miles.
The group was again approached on U.S. 30 near CR 900 East where it was again explained that the group could not continue to travel in the right lane impeding traffic. It was at this point that Nitty, Ajala and Lowe were arrested.
Nitty and his fellow travelers disputed the ISP’s version of the story.
It was immediately after the arrests near Whitley County that posts on social media from Black Lives Matter supporters began to appear suggesting people should descend on Warsaw and tear it down because of the “racist” arrests.
In response to those BLM posts, local residents began calling for an armed defense of the city. One post asked for 1,000 armed residents to come to Warsaw’s defense.
Since the death of George Floyd in May by a Milwaukee police officer, protests have sprung up all across the globe against racism, police brutality and other related issues. Kosciusko County hosted four rallies, with three in Warsaw and one in Winona Lake, and all of those were peaceful. The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office, Warsaw Police Department and the Indiana State Police are aware of threats that have been posted across social media platforms. This situation has been closely monitored and there is nothing at this time that has proven credible, according to a news release Friday afternoon from the KCSO.
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