From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. —Downtown Asheville business-owners are calling for collaborative safety solutions after the Asheville Police Department fired pepperballs to disperse a large crowd outside nightlife venues on Banks Avenue around 2 a.m. May 17. 

“The incident highlights the need for balanced crowd management and proactive, rather than reactive, policing strategies,” AI Overview opined.

In the aftermath, local business-owners and community stakeholders are proposing several specific safety strategies as follows:

• Proactive police presence: Business-owners, such as Federico Marquez, the co-owner of L.A. Pizza Party on Banks Avenue, advocate for having officers stationed in nightlife corridors earlier in the evening to naturally deter loitering and manage behavior before it escalates.

• City Council action: Stakeholders are planning to connect with local business leaders to bring formal proposals to Asheville City Council for increased, dedicated downtown patrols.

• De-escalation tools: “Law enforcement agencies increasingly view the use of pepperball launchers as an intermediate de-escalation tool,” AI Overview stated.

“When properly managed, these less-lethal systems (pepperballs) can provide stand-off control and help officers clear areas without resorting to physical force or lethal options,” AI Overview added.

The incident reportedly left many bystanders and workers coughing and sneezing due to the potency of the chemical irritants deployed outside, highlighting the delicate balance authorities must strike between public safety and community impact.

Meanwhile, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on May 19 that “Asheville police declined News 13’s request for an on-camera interview regarding the incident, but provided a statement by email explaining what led up to the response.

“In the statement, APD said officers were already on Banks Avenue conducting crime prevention after several calls for service connected to 32 Banks Avenue over the past month. Those calls, according to police, included ‘gun discharge, sexual assault, fight with weapons, trespass, and assisting EMS.’

“Police said a crowd outside several businesses eventually spilled into the roadway, blocking traffic and creating a public safety concern. 

“Officers issued multiple clear instructions for the crowd to disperse, including amplified announcements,” APD said in the statement. “Despite repeated warnings, many individuals remained in the street. When the crowd did not disperse, officers used a limited, indirect deployment of pepperballs...”

News 13’s “Comment Bubble” appearing after its story included the following assertions:

 • Normal — “Might have something to do with the clientele they attract.”

• EarthCharge — “Liberal use of military grade CS gas gets my vote.

“Street takeover problem solved in a single application.”

• EHemingway — “Downtown AVL just keeps getting better and better...”