Springfield Police reports detail scope of downtown property damage after Sunday protest

A broken window in EF Hutton Tower in downtown Springfield Monday morning. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

A broken window in EF Hutton Tower in downtown Springfield Monday morning. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Local law enforcement is investigating more than nine reports of criminal damage that occurred in downtown Springfield last weekend.

Police and city officials previously said downtown property damage was committed by a small group of people Sunday night and into Monday morning after police dispersed a group that had been gathered outside the Common Please Courthouse.

Some had lingered after a peaceful protest in the area earlier that day, which saw hundreds of people march through the downtown. They were protesting racial injustices as well as the death of George Floyd who was killed while in Minneapolis police custody in May.

Police attempted to clear people from the area at around 8 p.m. and again at around 11 p.m. Rocks and other objects were thrown at officers and tear gas was deployed.

Chief Lee Graf previously told media outlets that most people left after that confrontation. However, a small group caused property damage in the area going into Monday morning.

Acts of vandalism occurred at several small businesses as well as to a building owned by Clark State and Springfield City Hall.

Additional police reports said “on the listed time and date during a civil disturbance, the listed property was damaged by unknown suspect(s) by unknown means.”

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These business include:

The Heritage Center of Clark County, 117 S. Fountain Ave., where the sidewalk had multiple spots where someone wrote symbols and words with paint and spray paint

City Hall, 76 E. High St., where numerous windows were damaged

The Bushnell Building, 14 E. Main St., where a granite decor on the south side of the building was destroyed

Shawnee Place, 102 E. Main St., where several windows on the building were shattered

WesBanco Bank, 26 E. Main St., where various parts of the building were damaged

Stella Bleu, 20 N. Fountain Ave., where the side of the awning was damaged

Bushnell Investments, 25 N. Limestone St., where several anti-police tags along the stairwell and on the fourth level of the parking garage were found

COhatch, 101 S. Fountain Ave., where the window on the north side of the building was broken

EF Hutton, 1 E. Main St., where numerous windows were broken

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Damage reported earlier include at the Clark State Brinkman Educational Center where a window on the west side of the building was shatter and several Clark State Police Academy vehicles were vandalized, Un Mundo Cafe where front windows were shattered, and JP Mohler where 17 windows were broken.

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