CHAPEL HILL - Chapel Hill's police advisory committee will review the town's investigation of the Yates building incident after the Town Council has the opportunity to receive public comment.

The Community Policing Advisory Committee met Wednesday night for the first time since a team of Chapel Hill police officers brandishing semi-automatic weapons detained more than a dozen people at the former Yates Motor Co. building at 419 W. Franklin St. on Nov. 13.

Seven were charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering and an eighth with delay and obstruct.

At the meeting Wednesday, the committee initially voted unanimously to seek to review the report before it was brought to the council. Under that plan, the group would review the report, take questions and comments from the public, and get more information from the town. Then the group would send the report, comments and supporting documents to the Town Council for their consideration.

But several hours after making that decision, the board withdrew the motion and reversed course, deciding instead to review the town report after, rather than before, the Town Council formally receives it and takes public comment on it.

Committee member Anita Badrock said Thursday that after making the initial decision the group discussed the matter again and decided to follow the town's customary procedure, in which the the council receives public comment first, not an advisory committee.

"As we discussed it a little bit later in the evening it just became clear to us that the council has an established procedure when they request reports," Badrock said. "They get a report, they do what they do with it and then they refer it. And as we talked about it further, we realized that that's probably the best way to handle that, especially because as part of the council getting the report there would be a hearing."

Badrock said the discussion to change course on the request came as the group, which is a fairly new advisory board, discussed the format for their next meeting.

"As we talked through the structure of that meeting, it became very clear to us that we would benefit more and our ability to our job would benefit more if we'd receive the report with the public comments," she said.

Earlier in the night, the group convened in a small conference room overflowing with observers, which included several members from Occupy Chapel Hill. By the end of the night when the group re-voted on the issue, the room had emptied.

Council member Donna Bell is the Town Council's liaison to the committee, which is made up of nine residents appointed by the Town Council. Chief Chris Blue is also a town liaison to the committee.

Bell first suggested that the committee ask Stancil to receive the results of an internal investigation and receive public questions and comments on it first, before it's brought before the Town Council.

Bell said the council would like the committee to first comb through the report, find any holes in it and also review the report in the context of broader police and town policies.

"I am not suggesting that this committee necessarily look at this report and have to make a statement," she said. "I think one of the things is, there could be suggestions about changes in procedure questions. "

The group also voted to ask Stancil for supporting documents to accompany the report so members know how the investigation was conducted. They said they would like the town to finish the report as soon as possible.

After the committee voted down Bell's request later in the night, she said Thursday that she understood the reasoning behind the switch.

"I think their proposal is sound. They will still be the first to discuss this item," she said. "They are asking that the report be received as an information item by the Council."

The Community Policing Advisory Committee meets next on Jan. 11. The council's next meeting is Jan. 9.

Committee Chairman Ron Bogle said Stancil has said the Yates report should be released sometime next week.