Lessons: 50 years after Goodyear

Sheriff reflects on how riot would be handled today

By Michael Williamson, Richwood Gazette

Fifty years after the “Goodyear riot” in Marysville occurred, the county’s chief law enforcement officer said, today, there would likely be a bigger focus on deescalation.

Union County Sheriff Mike Justice said in a period of heightened tensions and short fuses, the key to many high-pressure situations is to stop the rising temperatures before things get out of hand.

“We hope it always comes down to communication and how can we calm things down, how can we deescalate them,” he said. “Unless it’s a direct threat of violence, deescalation should always be number one.”

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