My Hero of the Day: Police Chief Steve Anderson of Nashville Tennessee

During Ferguson protests in Nashville, Chief Anderson opted from the beginning to communicate openly with the organizers and meet the protestors with coffee and hot chocolate to keep them warm.

When the protestors pushed things and went onto a major roadway against the urgings of the police, instead of arresting all of them for obstructing the highway, Chief Anderson decided to close down the road temporarily for safety under the same precedent and procedure as they would handle a traffic accident or other natural disaster and the blockage was cleared up peacefully 20 minutes later.

Finally, when someone sent him a scathing letter, shaming him for not making arrests, he responded politely by (practically) expressing that no arrests were made because the Nashville Police are not fascists, and are firstly servants of the people — all the people — including those who were expressing their First Amendment Rights.

Peace,
-Steve

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