Minneapolis Third Precinct police station set on fire after rioters break in
Colorado National Guard medical personnel prepare to perform coronavirus test on a motorist at a drive-through testing site outside the Denver Coliseum on Saturday in Denver. Officials planned to administer 150 tests but the line of vehicles wrapped around three city blocks. (David Zalubowski/AP). Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.
MINNEAPOLIS, May 29, 2020, Fox News. The Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis was set ablaze Thursday night as violent protests continued in the city — and other cities across the U.S. — following Monday’s death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody, Fox News reported.
More than 500 members of the National Guard were heading to the Twin Cities region, called in by Gov. Tim Walz, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported.
We have activated more than 500 soldiers to St. Paul, Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Our mission is to protect life, preserve property and the right to peacefully demonstrate. A key objective is to ensure fire departments are able to respond to calls.
— MN National Guard (@MNNationalGuard) May 29, 2020
Rioters broke into the precinct around 10 p.m. local time, after police on the rooftop previously tried to disperse a gathering crowd using “flash bang” shots and tear gas, according to reports.
The rioters entered the building and sparked the fire after police officers on the roof were rescued by helicopter, reports said.
The precinct is located only a short distance away from where Floyd died Monday. Video images showing Floyd lying in the street with a police officer’s knee against his neck, sparked outrage across the nation. Four police officers connected to the incident were fired Tuesday.
Earlier Thursday evening, a separate fire erupted about two blocks from the police station — with no apparent immediate signs of response from the city’s fire department.
On Wednesday, rioters were shown vandalizing the same police station that officers were defending Thursday night.
Live report from @kscullinfox9… this is pawn shop. In that area there is a pawn shop called MaxIt Pawn on 28th and Lake. https://t.co/Qg2KCrKnr9
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) May 29, 2020
Across the Twin Cities region, businesses were seen boarded up in a bid to prevent vandalism and looting.
Around midday Thursday, dozens of looters rushed toward a Target store in an apparent attempt to loot it but were turned away by responding police, The Associated Press reported. The crowd then moved on to other nearby stores.
Target, with corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, later announced it was temporarily closing about two dozen stores in the Twin Cities area.
Minneapolis also shut down much of its light-rail and bus systems through Sunday out of safety concerns, the Associated Press reported.
In St. Paul, spokesman Steve Linders said authorities were dealing with incidents in roughly 20 different parts of the city.
More unrest was reported Thursday evening in cities such as New York City, Denver, Columbus, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky.
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