Cop Union Rep Accused of Sparking Melee

An open meeting at St. Louis’s City Hall erupted into shouting, pushing and shoving on Wednesday night during a hearing to discuss the pros and cons of establishing a civilian board to review police conduct. When police officers began testifying in opposition to the bill, the crowd became unruly. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Jeff Roorda, business manager of the city’s police union, stood and called for order while wearing a wristband in support of Darren Wilson, which agitated the crowd further. Committee chair Terry Kennedy then apparently lost control of the meeting. “Protesters accused Roorda of starting the melee by pushing a woman. They demanded his arrest after the meeting,” the newspaper reports, adding that “Roorda said that he had become surrounded and that people had been grabbing at his ankles.” No arrests were made and no one was seriously injured.