COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan walked with protesters in downtown Columbus Monday evening, just before the 10PM curfew went into effect.
Quinlan tells ABC-6 he did not want to do it sooner because of the agitators in the crowd, and he did not want to put officers in a situation where they could not defend themselves.
Quinlan says he has always wanted to listen to the community about change.
The Chief has been the subject of criticism from elected officials in the city, over how officers handled peaceful protesters over the weekend, by using tear gas and rubber bullets.
Earlier, Mayor Andrew Ginther had been concerned about the police tactics used on protesters. Stonewall Columbus called for Quinlan to resign.
The student leaders of The Ohio State University also called for OSU to cut ties with CPD because of the situation.