'You can facilitate the right of extremists like the Proud Boys to protest without shaking their hands or sharing a laugh or slapping them on the back,' writes Dispatch columnist Theodore Decker.
Actions, one in particular, speak louder than words.
During a Saturday protest that drew a motley assortment of right-wing extremists and an equally vocal contingent of counter-protesters, a Columbus police sergeant drew immediate scrutiny from members of the latter group when he high-fived a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist organizationCounter-protesters immediately called Sgt. Steven Dyer out, and their recorded exchange quickly spread across social media.
"Seriously, what's that about?" asks a woman who identifies herself during the conversation as the mother of a gay child. "Building relationships," Dyer replies. During the conversation there is a persistent hint of a smile that suggests despite his apparent training in community discourse, Dyer is not at that particular moment even close to reading the room.Dyer tries to explain himself. He says that as a member of the division's newly created"Dialogue Team," his job is not to support anyone's cause but to ensure open communication and everyone's right to protest.
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