Protesters who shut down a street in Hartford, Connecticut are being blamed for preventing an ambulance with a critically ill patient from reaching a local hospital, authorities say.
Police said that when up to 200 protesters shut down the northbound lanes of Route 34, their obstruction blocked an ambulance in a traffic jam. The delay forced the ambulance personnel to perform an emergency medical procedure they otherwise would not have had to perform.
One person was arrested for inciting a riot, according to the Associated Press.
Connecticut State police charged New Haven resident Norman Clement, 66, “with inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer and reckless use of the highway by a pedestrian,” the AP noted.
Police say that Clement went so far as to stand in the path of the ambulance to prevent its progress and pushed officers when they tried to guide him out from in front of the emergency vehicle.
Two others were also arrested, reports say.
The protesters, though, claim that the police targeted them and none moved to block the path of the ambulance.
Some protesters told the media that police “appeared to be looking for a confrontation” and targeted them for mistreatment.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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