1966 Riot

[Ray1936]

Started when the 7th Precinct cruiser crew [["Big Four") stopped a carload of youths. They started a disturbance in the neighborhood and things got out of hand for a while. Reinforcements were called for and were stationed there for a good week. However, about six hours into the donnybrook, a cold August rain started and it poured for several days. By the time the rain stopped, it was all over.

I've often felt that were it not for that rain, the situation would have evolved to the same level as the '67 riot. In 1967, of course, it was July and no such luck with the weather from eleven months prior.

[Bobl]

Ray's quote:

"...I've often felt that were it not for that rain, the situation would have evolved to the same level as the '67 riot. In 1967, of course, it was July and no such luck with the weather from eleven months prior."

I heard the same thing from a friend's father, who was a Detroit Policeman at the time. Something, somewhere was going to explode here, as it did in other cities. It was just a matter of when.

[Bearinabox]

Which is funny, because most accounts of the '67 riot treat it like it came out of the blue and took everyone by surprise. If the same thing was narrowly avoided a year earlier, you would think the city and DPD would have taken some measures to prevent or prepare for it.

[R8RBOB]

Which is funny, because most accounts of the '67 riot treat it like it came out of the blue and took everyone by surprise. If the same thing was narrowly avoided a year earlier, you would think the city and DPD would have taken some measures to prevent or prepare for it.

It took Whites by surprise but for Blacks living in neighborhoods like on 12th and Clairmount, it just needed a police raid to ignite the powder-keg.


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