Minnesota gov. hints that white supremacists, drug cartels could be part of widespread chaos
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he is aware of unconfirmed reports that gangs of white supremacists are taking advantage of the anarchy unfolding in Minneapolis to create more chaos.
The comment came during an early morning press conference Saturday in which Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and members of the law enforcement community laid out plans for containing the destruction that has spread through much of the Twin Cities.
When asked by a reporter if Walz was aware of rumors that white supremacists had joined some of the looting he said, “My suspicious and what I’ve seen on this, yes.”
“It gets worse than that,” he added. “The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That’s why this situation is on a federal level.”
Walz added that he is working closely with the federal government to gather intelligence on who is participating in the destruction and whether they belong to organized groups.
Oakland protests highlight city’s troubled relationship with its own police department
Oakland protesters carried signs for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tamir Rice, but another name was everywhere: Oscar Grant, killed by BART police on New Year’s Day 2009.
The city’s troubled relationship with its own police department – OPD is in its 17th year under a federal consent decree for civil rights violations – was powerfully expressed Friday night.
Police in Oakland stayed in place for most of the evening, establishing a cordon around the downtown Oakland precinct. But by 9 p.m., protesters began throwing bottles and fireworks, and police responded with tear gas, fired in high arcs over the crowd and pushing them back several blocks.
The long history of protest action here meant that protesters urged each other to walk while fleeing to avoid a stampede, and many carried jugs of milk to pour into eyes burning from the gas.
Several storefront windows were broken, small fires set throughout downtown, and a bank was in flames by 11 o’clock.
As midnight approached, Oakland’s central Broadway corridor was still packed with protesters, but shop owners had begun venturing into the streets to pull aside improvised barricades left behind by protesters.
‘No justice, no peace!’ protesters rally in Chicago
Deputy opens fire at San Jose protest
Law enforcement opened fire during a George Floyd protest in San Jose on Friday night, police said.
The shooting involved the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and happened at 9:06 p.m., said Sgt. Enrique Garcia of the San Jose Police Department. No city police were involved, he said.
NBC Bay Area reported that the target was a vehicle that had been captured on cellphone video striking one or more demonstrators. The driver allegedly disobeyed the commands of deputies at the scene before one opened fire, the station said.
The extent of any injuries in the shooting and collision were not detailed by the sheriff’s department. The San Jose department was investigating, sheriff’s officials said.
Man shot and killed during Detroit protests
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot amid protests Friday night in Detroit, and authorities are looking for a suspect, police said.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. when a suspect in a gray Dodge Durango “pulled up to the location and fired shots into the crowd,” police said in a statement.
The victim was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries. Police said that after the shooting, the suspect fled. Police Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood said that circumstances of the shooting and a motive were still under investigation.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said that the “vast majority” of protesters were peaceful, but several police vehicles were damaged and a police command officer was transported to a hospital after being hit with a rock. No other officers were injured.
Craig said that he is angry over Floyd’s death, his colleagues in policing all across the nation are angry, and he respects the rights of people to protest. “But I will not stand by and let a small minority of criminals come in here, attack our officers and make our community unsafe,” Craig said.
Nine people were arrested, and Craig said that of those nine, seven were from outside of the city of Detroit. “So do us a favor. If you live outside of the city, why don’t you protest in your hometown,” Craig told reporters. “If you do want to come down and make a statement, do it in a peaceful manner.”
Shots fired of Minneapolis police precinct
Minneapolis police said shots were fired at the 5th police precinct station during unrest that stretched from Friday night into Saturday morning.
No officers were injured, according to police. Protesters were warned to immediately disperse or risk arrest.
Protesters on Thursday swarmed the 3rd police precinct station in Minneapolis, which served as the home base of the four former officers involved in the detainment of George Floyd.
Protesters block traffic near the Colorado Capitol
Phoenix sees protests over local and national police killings
Phoenix saw more protests on Friday as demonstrators took to the streets to protest the killings of George Floyd and Arizona resident Dion Johnson, a black man who was shot and killed by an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper on Monday.
Protesters marched to the Phoenix police headquarters and were met by calls from police to disperse when they arrived. Phoenix PD fired tear gas into the crowd and used flash bangs to try to disperse the protestors, according to NBC Phoenix affiliate KPNX.
Oakland police declare protest unlawful after officers injured
Police in Oakland, California, declared a protest unlawful Friday night after “multiple officers were injured when projectiles were thrown.”
“We are requesting people to leave the area,” police said in a tweet shortly before 10 p.m.
Protesters in Oakland also made their way onto a freeway and shut down traffic, NBC Bay Area reported.
Protesters torch post office, gas station in Minneapolis
Protesters in Minneapolis lit fires at a Shell gas station, Wells Fargo Bank and a U.S. Post Office building Friday night as thousands of people swarmed the city despite a curfew.
NBC affiliate KARE 11 News tweeted photos and videos of the fires, plus images of law enforcement officers marching in formation towards a police precinct.
The unrest dissolved another night of looting, jumping in front of cars and starting fires throughout the city.
“All of our hearts are breaking that this is happening in our state,” said KARE anchor Julie Nelson.
