Civil unrest continues in Minneapolis.
Cheering protesters torched the local police station last night that the department was forced to abandon as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.
A police spokesman confirmed that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, “in the interest of the safety of our personnel” shortly after 10 p.m.
Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, and setting fire to a Minneapolis Police Department jacket, while cheering.
The Minnesota Governor has called in the National Guard.
Protests first erupted Tuesday, a day after Floyd’s death in a confrontation with police that was captured on video by a bystander.
Video footage shows Floyd gasping for breath and pleading for help during his arrest outside a convenience store on Monday, when an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes.
The officer who kneeled on Floyd and three others were fired the next day, but so far, no criminal charges have been laid.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in Minneapolis say they are conducting “a robust criminal investigation” into the 46 year old man’s death and making the case a priority.
We are working with @MinneapolisFire to deliver resources and respond for a beloved neighborhood in our city. We all need to work together to ensure the safety of our friends, family, and Minneapolis residents. And right now working together means clearing the area.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) May 29, 2020
From our friends in City Communications https://t.co/OLXlo39wKg
— Minneapolis Police (@MinneapolisPD) May 29, 2020
