GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay Police are explaining their actions related to the breaking up of a basketball game at Whitney Park on Monday – where a juvenile ended up in handcuffs.
“We are receiving a lot of complaints about kids playing basketball, kids congregating in parks – which is a violation of the governor’s orders,” says Commander Kevin Warych, “The order is very specific about basketball games or other games that violate the safe-space requirements.”
Officers say just after 6:45 p.m. Monday, they were called to the area of Jackson and Cherry streets on Green Bay’s east side. A neighbor reported six juveniles walking in the street and being “verbally abusive” toward the caller. The caller was able to walk away from them, but still requested that police contact the group.
Police arrived in the area and found the group playing basketball in nearby Whitney Park. An officer and a police supervisor told the group the game was a violation of the “safer at home” order. After police made a second order to leave the court, they say one of the boys refused.
“The officer took hold of the juvenile’s arm as an escort hold and asked the juvenile to go on his way. The juvenile then thrashed his body around – officers put handcuffs on him to get him to calm down,” tells WTAQ News, “Transported this juvenile back home and turned him over to his mother with no enforcement and only a verbal warning.”
Police reportedly used the basketball hoop stand to stabilize the boy so they could put handcuffs on him. An escort hold is standard procedure when attempting to convince individuals to vacate a particular area.
There have been complaints at parks around the city since the order took effect, including another recent case at Colburn Park – which is being investigated.
“It’s multiple parks in the City of Green Bay and we really just want to get the message out to the community that people need to know where their kids are and make sure their kids don’t congregate in small groups. We have to do everything we can so we don’t spread COVID,” Warych says, “We just want people to comply. And we will take an extra effort to educate, take the time to explain why the order is in place. We don’t want people to get in trouble, and the order is in place to protect them.”
Police also say that since last fall, people in the Navarino Park neighborhood have reported young people gathering in the park and nearby streets – creating disturbances and making inappropriate comments to people walking past. Officers have repeatedly spoken with the juveniles and parked a marked squad vehicle nearby in an effort to cut down on the issues.
