You know, that comment made me look, because I remembered something in the UCMJ about unlawful orders. So my Bing search came up with Article 92, which basically says the US military is trained to refuse unlawful orders. I realize the local PD's probably don't have a controlling legal authority that is anywhere near as comprehensive as the UCMJ, but golly, don't police have any responsibility to enforce the SPIRIT of the law when given orders to stand by and watch trouble develop?
From what I hear and see/read something is really wrong in Charlottesville which is pegged as a really nice place. When you have a rabid Mayor with political ambitions willing to do anythng to rise up in what’s left of their party anything is possible. A corrupt police dept. is quite easy to create these days. Probably takes a few years to do but its doable.