Perspective on Policing, Pressure, and a Riot: An Officer Speaks

 

West Palm Beach, Fl - Most people encounter riots through a screen. A burning car loops in the background of a news segment. Lines of police in riot gear stand shoulder to shoulder. Crowds shout, sirens echo, and a narrator summarizes the chaos in under a minute.

What rarely makes it into the headlines is what it feels like to stand inside that chaos, especially when you're a young police officer with only weeks of experience on the street.

In a special episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, former Charlotte, North Carolina police officer Bill Broadway offers a rare, unfiltered look at what policing during violent riots was really like. His account isn't political. It's personal. And that's what makes it unsettling.

Thrown Into the Fire

He was only weeks removed from field training when he was called in to help control violent riots in Charlotte. Like many new officers, he expected a gradual learning curve,  traffic stops, routine calls, building trust within the community.

Instead, he was dropped into a situation that bore little resemblance to the policing he had trained for.

"These weren't peaceful demonstrations," Bill explains. "This was chaos."

From the moment he arrived, it was clear the situation had escalated beyond protest. Police vehicles were targeted and removed. Officers were surrounded. Objects flew through the air. Each movement required split-second decisions with real consequences.

Every step forward carried the possibility of serious injury, or worse.

Protest vs. Riot: A Line That Matters

Much of the public conversation around civil unrest blurs the distinction between protest and riot. But for officers on the ground, that distinction isn't theoretical, it's critical.

Generally speaking, a protest is an organized demonstration of disapproval, protected under the First Amendment. A riot, by contrast, is a violent disturbance of the peace involving multiple people acting together in ways that threaten public safety. Including fires, vandalism and assaults.

Federal law under the Anti-Riot Act of 1968 defines a riot as a public disturbance involving acts of violence by an assemblage of three or more people that create a clear and present danger to people or property. 

Many states, including North Carolina, reinforce this through statutes addressing arson, looting, assault, unlawful assembly, and destruction of property.

As Bill recalls, the shift was unmistakable. "When violence starts," he says, "it's no longer a protest. It's something else entirely."

Injuries, Fear, and Constant Threats

Throughout the episode, Bill walks listeners through every phase of the riot, from initial deployment, to losing police vehicles, to officers being injured on the line.

What stands out most is the psychological weight.

"You don't just worry about what's in front of you," Bill explains. "You're watching rooftops, alleys, shadows. You're wondering if the next hit is coming from behind."

The stress didn't end when the shift was over. Officers returned home bruised, exhausted, and emotionally drained, knowing they could be called back at any moment. Sleep was elusive. Adrenaline lingered. The fear followed them home.

Optics vs. Officer Safety

One of the most controversial topics that is brought up is the question that department leadership and city officials were more concerned with optics and public perception than with officer safety or on-the-ground realities.

"The people making decisions weren't the ones standing there," Bill says. "That's what made it hard."

This tension isn't new in American policing. Critics argue that public relations strategies sometimes overshadow transparency or officer well-being. 

Leaders, on the other hand, emphasize that public trust is essential and fragile, specially during volatile events.

Balancing transparency, accountability, and safety in real time is difficult. For officers on the line, that balance can feel abstract when objects are flying and threats are constant.

A Divided Public, A Human Experience

Public opinion on policing during riots remains deeply divided. Some view restraint as weakness. Others see enforcement as oppression. Officers in the middle are left navigating not just physical danger, but a cultural and emotional battlefield.

Bill doesn't claim to have all the answers. What he offers instead is perspective, what it's like to be young, inexperienced, and suddenly responsible for holding a line while the entire nation watches.

You Decide

Today, Bill Broadway serves with a different agency, carrying with him the lessons, and scars, from those nights in Charlotte. His story raises difficult questions about leadership, accountability, public safety, and the human cost of civil unrest.

Were the riots handled appropriately by department leadership and city officials?

Was the balance between optics and officer safety struck the right way?

Bill shares what he lived.

Listen or read this special episode on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and most major podcast platforms.

Attributions:

 Brittanica.com