Alexander C. Patterson of Clifton Park and Jamaica M. Miles of Schenectady were arrested for Disorderly Conduct: Obstructing Traffic, a violation, and Unlawful Imprisonment a 2nd degree misdemeanor, a press release from the Saratoga Springs Police Department said, yesterday.
According to the SSPD release: The two people listed above were arrested on warrants. The allegations are in regards to the Black Lives Matter Saratoga protest which took place on Broadway by Phila Street on July 14. Both were arraigned in City Court Sept. 9 and released.
Patterson was arrested on Sept. 8 and Miles came into the police station with her attorney on Sept. 9. These are in addtion to four people arrested on Tuesday Sept. 7.
Jim Montagnino, the Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Public Safety, issued a press statement after the first four arrests saying the law authorizes the issuance of a "summons in place of an arrest warrant to direct an individual’s appearance before a Court for arraignment on a criminal charge."
SSPD Lt. Robert Jillson said that issuing a warrant for the arrest in these cases is normal because the police did not arrest these people the day of the event but after looking at social media and other evidence. He said that a judge could require a summons in these cases rather than a warrant, but that the department normally issues a warrant.
Jillson said that a man called 911 listing a heart condition. He explained this to the protestors, Jillson said.. In a video posted on the police department Facebook page, the driver is blocked and is asking the 911 operator for help clearing the road to get home to his medicine.
Jillson said this is an example of what can happen when protestors block traffic.
“It could be bad,” he said, adding later that protestors do not know what a person is a car might be experiencing. “Things are going on in society.”
The first four arrests occurred Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 7. [Read more about that here, here and here.]