5 arrested at protest outside Mercer County police, military equipment company

Five people from outside the area were arrested at a protest at a Mercer County business that makes equipment for police and military on Monday, according to state police.

According to state police, troopers went to the protest at Combined Tactical Systems on Kinsman Road in Greene Township around 6 a.m. in response to a report of a group of protesters gathering at the front gate.

Combined Tactical Systems specializes in manufacturing military and police equipment such as tear gas canisters, flash grenades, breaching munitions and handcuffs for police and military.

At the scene, state police troopers found about 35 protesters, with five sitting on the ground in front of the gate with devices linking their arms together and weighted 55-gallon drums on each end. Protesters had chained and padlocked the front gate.

Employees and others inside the facility were unable to leave because of the protest and barricades, police said.

Five people were arrested after refusing to disperse. State police said they were cut apart from one another and the barricades were removed shortly after noon.

Those arrested were Torren Melone Smith, 32, Aniqa Fairooz Raihan, 24, and Pauline Acker Blount, 29, all of Philadelphia; Charles William Denison III, 41, of Lake Milton, Ohio; and Cassidy Amanda Regan, 32, of Redding, Conn. They were charged with riot, false imprisonment, failure to disperse, obstructing administration of law, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

According to court records, all five were being held in the Mercer County Jail on $25,000 bond each. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for Sept. 8 before District Judge Brian Arthur.

The other protesters left without incident after being told they would be prosecuted if they didn’t leave, police said.

State police said they would monitor Combined Tactical Systems for any further disturbances or issues.