We're in St. Pete, and local police do not control the bridges...Florida Highway Patrol are the ones that close a bridge, not the St. Pete, Clearwater, or Tampa police department. They don't have the authority to close a bridge.
Which begs the question, were these bridges state roads, city roads, Interstates, etc.
Local police in our area do control causeway closings to the barrier islands.
You guys don't get it.
It doesn't matter who "owns" the bridge, or if he had the "authority" or if the bridge could hold people, trains, planes or elephants.
The chief took control of a checkpoint to protect what he had to protect.
Don't matter who owns the stinking bridge. At that time, at that place, he had a bigger gun.
The bridge was his, and he closed it.
Nuff said.