Editor's Note: In the course of the attached video, which was obtained from the Columbus Division of Police, viewers will hear use of foul language.
The Columbus Department of the Inspector General is investigating multiple Columbus Division of Police officers who confronted Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley at a Post Malone concert celebrating veterans in July, claiming she trespassed in the VIP lounge of the Historic Crew Stadium.
In body-worn camera footage sent to WOSU on Friday, officers confronted Crawley and her friends in the lounge, claiming that security officials said she was trespassing. At one point, officers followed Crawley into a bathroom, claiming she was hiding there.
In an interview with WOSU, Crawley, a Black woman, said the situation escalated because she feels she was singled out by security officials and police because of her race, while other attendees weren't questioned about their wristbands.
"It is deeply heartbreaking for an event that's supposed to be about patriotism for somebody to continuously tell me I did not belong," Crawley said.
Crawley is the only member of the board who is up for reelection this year.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners' office forwarded a statement to WOSU from Breakaway Group, the event's promoter, and its co-founder Zach Ruben. Ruben said Crawley was permitted to have access to the VIP Lounge. Crawley is seen in the body- worn camera videos wearing a wristband. Crawley said she was told the wristband gave her access.
"Commissioner Crawley, her guests, and all supporters of the event were provided access to the stadium’s suites and hospitality areas, including the lounge where I personally greeted her and other sponsors during the event," Ruben said. "We regret that the circumstances surrounding the evening have distracted from honoring our veterans, including Commissioner Crawley, and recognizing the service and sacrifice of the thousands of veterans and military families who joined us for the celebration."
Crawley wasn't arrested or charged with trespassing. She said she was allowed to remain at the concert and in the lounge, but chose to leave to go to the suite she was provided.
During the confrontation, officers threatened Crawley with jail time and to place her in handcuffs. In response, Crawley told officers, "I'm above the Franklin County Jail."
As commissioner, Crawley helps make the budget for the jail, but the authority over the jail falls under Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin. In the video, she never identifies herself as a commissioner, but Crawley alludes to her role in this moment and also told officers that she is a sponsor of the event.
Crawley told WOSU she told officers she was "above the jail" to recognize that she knows what the jail is because her name is on it.
"I was saying to him that I was familiar with the jail. That was it," Crawley said.
Crawley continuously maintained to officers that she was not breaking any rules or trespassing.
In side conversations in the body camera videos, the officers explain to each other that the normal conduct is that when a security officer tells them someone isn't allowed in a space, officers tell them to leave. An officer said they treat people the same way at Sonic Temple, a rock festival that is also held at the same stadium.
Another officer and a security official explained that Crawley and her guests' attitudes were one of the reasons they were being kicked out.
Before the event, Crawley said her wristband was checked several times, including when she entered the VIP lounge.
Crawley said that her wristband was checked four more times by security during the concert, but she was never told to leave until the final check when she questioned these actions.
"I asked why five Black women with proper credentials were repeatedly being questioned in a space where others were not. I challenged treatment that I believed was disparate. I asked to speak with the people responsible for the event. None of those things should transform someone from an invited guest into a threat," Crawley said in a provided statement.
At the time, she said she noticed the officials weren't checking the wristbands of other attendees.
The man who checked her wristband told Crawley to go back to her seat. She declined to do so, citing her wristband.
"We have the wristbands that we're supposed to have. They've been checked several times. It's the same as everybody else," Crawley said. "He escalates and says, 'You'll f****** leave when I call the police and they remove your asses.'"
This alleged interaction was not recorded by the body-worn cameras because officers arrived after Crawley claimed this happened.
In a statement sent by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Crawley explained that she had access to tickets to the concert, which was called the Veterans Service Commission Salute 250. She said Franklin County provided $250,000 in public funding in connection with an event created to honor veterans, active-duty service members, military families and friends.
Crawley herself is a U.S. Navy veteran.
Crawley said Franklin County’s support came from the Veterans Service Commission, as well as other sponsorships, which allowed more than 6,000 free tickets to be distributed to veterans, service members, families and friends. This included 18 tickets for the Board of Commissioners to use at its discretion.
Crawley attended the concert with four guests.
Crawley explained that she didn't speak about this incident publicly before now — two months after the fact — because she was letting the city's investigation into the officers' conduct play out.
The Columbus Division of Police declined to comment due to the incident being under active investigation.
The Columbus Department of the Inspector General did not immediately respond to requests for comment clarifying the status of the investigation nor did they say how many officers are being investigated. WOSU received body-worn camera footage from nine different officers, but several of the officers were not heavily involved in the confrontation.
