Nevaeh Jefferson, the daughter of Amber Jefferson, who had a run-in with former Toledo Police Sgt. Kyle Howe captured in one of the body cam videos released by the city, holds a homemade sign during Saturday’s protest. PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS

Anyone who drove past the Tama County Courthouse this past Saturday afternoon most likely saw a group of people holding signs. This was a protest for the victims of former Toledo Police Officer Kyle Howe.

Bill Horrigan was the organizer behind the event on May 6, wearing a shirt that displayed across his shoulders the words ‘Justice for Dad.’ This is because Bill is the son of Stephen Horrigan, a 72-year-old man that had a run-in with Mr. Howe back in March. Body cam footage, which is available on the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle’s YouTube page, showed Stephen Horrigan shoved onto the payment and berated by the former officer during a traffic stop. Stephen Horrigan was charged with three separate counts in this incident that have all been dismissed.

At this time, Stephen Horrigan has not filed any lawsuit against the city, nor has Stephen Horrigan made an official complaint with the Toledo Police Department. An official complaint is something that has to be notarized according to the Iowa code for an official inquiry to be done. The city urges anyone who has an issue with a police officer to go to the police station and fill out a complaint form.

“I just want it to be known that that Officer does not deserve to wear a badge ever,” Bill Horrigan said at the protest.

With the main goal of getting the word out about Kyle Howe and what happened to his father, Bill put together the protest to make a statement. Hopes were that more people would have attended the event, but it was thought that the threat of inclement weather kept many away.

Protesters displayed homemade signs, voicing their concerns and ideas on the Tama County Courthouse lawn Saturday. PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS

“When I saw that video, I was very, very disturbed,” Bill said.

It was the body cam videos released by Toledo City Attorney Mike Marquess and published on the Chronicle’s YouTube page that Bill Horrigan saw. Having up to that point only heard the description of the incident his father gave, the videos angered and startled Bill.

“Howe shouldn’t be able to go somewhere else and do the same thing,” Amber Jefferson said. Amber, who herself also had a run-in with Howe during which he used force, attended the protest with her daughters.

“The protest Saturday, it was real hard for me. I wanted to go talk to those people, but at the same time, I thought I might be the last person they want to see. And they had their Constitutional right for peaceful assembly, and if my presence was gonna not make that peaceful, then I wanted to give them their space,” Toledo Police Chief Quigley said at the Monday, May 8 council meeting about starting a conversation with the community.

Calm and peaceful are two words that easily describe the Saturday protest. People milled about, children played in the grass, and the signs were held up for every passing driver. Anger was surely felt among these protesters, but no anger was shown.

HOWE UNACCEPTABLE poster. PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, so that’s why I’m very calm and very quiet,” Bill Horrigan said.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS

PHOTO BY MICHAEL D. DAVIS