Chaos Erupts In Minneapolis Amid Violent & Deadly Protests Over George Floyd’s Death

C.A.

The city of Minneapolis now resembles a war zone in the wake of protests over the death of a Black man who died in police custody on Monday night.

As seen in the now-viral, disturbing video of his arrest, a man identified as George Floyd was rendered helpless by an officer who held his knee into the man’s neck to keep him down on the ground until he became unresponsive. While FBI investigators are looking into the matter, citizens have responded to the tragic situation with widespread demonstrations and protests that quickly turned ugly.

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Peaceful protesters gathered for the second straight day early on Wednesday near the city’s 3rd Precinct station, in the southern part of the city where 46-year-old Floyd died on Memorial Day. It wasn’t long before tensions reached a bubbling point and officers fired rubber bullets and tear gas into the large crowds. During the evening, chaos erupted as more residents flooded the streets, seeking justice for what many believe was a racially-motivated and senseless killing.

Fires burned through the night and several businesses were looted, according to reporting from local news affiliate KARE. Amid the violence, cops responded to a report of a stabbing at 9:05 p.m. and found a man who wasn’t breathing lying on the sidewalk. The unidentified victim was brought to Hennepin County Medical Center where it was determined he had been fatally shot. Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder spoke at a news conference early Thursday, revealing there were no other known injuries or additional arrests made apart from that shooting death. However, he did note things had escalated to a new level:

“Tonight was a different night of protesting than it was just the night before.”

Additionally, one Target store was badly ransacked yesterday, as seen in alleged video footage captured and reshared on Twitter (below):

As violence moved through the streets, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz took to the platform and warned others to avoid the “extremely dangerous situation” developing:

The demonstration got so out of hand that Mayor Jacob Frey had to call on the Minnesota National Guard to step in and attempt to control the crowds. He’s now begging residents to keep peaceful protests within the city, telling the NBC affiliate on Thursday:

“I cannot risk the safety of innocent people and so that is what I’ve been sworn to uphold and that is what I am dedicated to do. We can have both things. We can have peaceful demonstrations, but I also have to ensure the safety of everyone in the city. I’m imploring our city, imploring our community, imploring every one of us to keep the peace. Let’s honor George Floyd’s memory.”

All four officers involved in Floyd’s death have since been fired as the FBI and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension conducts its investigation — but it’s clear from firsthand accounts across social media about what went down in Minneapolis, as well as other cities across the US, people aren’t going to sit quietly waiting for justice to be served.

Bridgett Floyd, his sister, appeared on the Today show Wednesday morning and said she wants all of the officers at the scene, identified as Derek Chauvin (the officer who physically put his knee on Floyd), Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng, to be charged with murder:

“They murdered my brother. He was crying for help.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to this man’s family and loved ones as they grieve.

[Image via WCCO – CBS Minnesota/YouTube]

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