A suspected looter has been shot dead outside a pawn shop after protests over the death of George Floyd descended into chaos Wednesday nig...
A suspected looter has been shot dead outside a pawn shop after protests over the death of George Floyd descended into chaos Wednesday night and rioters vandalized stores across the city.
Minneapolis Department Police Chief John Elder confirmed in a midnight press conference that one person was shot and killed and that another person was being held in custody.
Elder said officers had responded to reports of a possible stabbing at around 9.25pm between Bloomington and Lake Street.
The body of a man - who medics later confirmed had been shot - was found lying on the sidewalk outside the Cadillac Pawn shop by police officers who performed CPR on him.
A man has been shot dead outside a pawn shop after protests over the death of George Floyd descended into chaos Wednesday night and rioters smashed up stores across the city
Wendy's, Target, Walmart and AutoZone were all looted and ransacked and rioters tried to bust open an ATM
A man poses for photos in front of a fire at an AutoZone store. John Elder, Minneapolis Department Police Chief confirmed in a press conference that one person was shot and killed and that another person was being held in custody
The police chief slammed the actions of looters which he branded 'disrespectful' to Floyd's family and to the protesters gathering peacefully to demand justice over his death
Demonstrators looted a stores in Minneapolis Wednesday evening leaving them ransacked
A group of vigilantes calling themselves 'heavily armed rednecks' then gathered to stand guard outside local businesses and protect them from looters
Looters steal goods from a Target store in Minneapolis in the midst of the second day of protests over George Floyd's death
Bystanders filmed the looters as disorder began in the streets of the city on the second day of the rally, after footage emerged Tuesday showing white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of black man George Floyd
Elder said that 'everything was done that we could do to try to preserve this man's life' but the adult male died in hospital.
The police chief refused to confirm reports that the shooter was the owner of the pawn shop who shot the victim dead because he was looting his store.
He said this was 'one theory' but that police are investigating 'a couple of different scenarios that might have happened'.
Elder would not divulge what the other scenarios are. He added that there had been no other reports of injuries among protesters or police officers.
The police chief also slammed the actions of looters and rioters which he branded 'disrespectful' to Floyd's family and to all the protesters who gathered peacefully to demand justice over his death.
'If people are there to truly honor the man and his family this isn't how you do it and it's so disrespectful and it's heartbreaking,' he said.
'People are utilizing this as a purpose just to make bad decisions.'
Floyd was filmed Monday begging the Minneapolis cop to stop and telling him he could not breathe before he lost consciousness and later died
George Floyd's (pictured) heartbroken family have called for the cops to be charged with murder and their lawyer revealed white cop Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for a staggering eight minutes during the arrest for forger
News of the death topped off a night of chaos and destruction across the city as rioters stripped shelves bare, set fire to stores and tried to break into a bank.
Stores including Wendy's, Target, Walmart and AutoZone were looted, ransacked and some set alight before rioters tried to bust open an ATM, as many ignored pleas from the Floyd family's lawyer and Minnesota Governor Walz to protest peacefully Wednesday night.
Footage on social media showed car parts company AutoZone up in flames as people were seen hurling rocks through its windows.
At the Target store near the site of Floyd's arrest, the inside of the store lay in ruins, with stock depleted of all goods and the remaining merchandise flung across the floor.
Witnesses reported thieves using power tools to break open cash registers and trying to access the store's safes, before it too was set alight and seen engulfed in flames.
Rioters then turned to a Wendy's where they sprayed graffiti on the walls before moving onto a bank - trying to bust it open and raid the ATMs.
A group of four men with huge firearms were seen outside a GM Tobacco store as they said they had come to protect local businesses from looters, reported Minnesota Reformer.
The police precinct window's were smashed and some protesters hurled metal railings at the doors
Some protesters wreaked havoc on the police precinct, pushing over barriers and smashing up the site's windows
Police property is damaged by people gathered for the rally as Gov Walz's pleas for a peaceful protest were ignored by some
Police spray pepper spray into crowds as protesters outside the Minneapolis police third precinct continue a second day of protests
One woman was seen being blasted in the face with pepper spray as she held up a banner with a slogan saying 'Charge killer cops'
A woman douses her face in milk after she was exposed to tear gas sprayed by cops
The vigilantes called themselves 'heavily armed rednecks' as they stood guard outside the businesses.
Disorder erupted in the streets of the city on the second day of the rally over Floyd's death, after footage emerged Tuesday showing white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the black man's neck moments before he died in police custody.
Floyd is heard pleading with Chauvin, saying 'please, please, I can't breathe' and 'My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts' while witnesses urged the arresting officers to stop.
Cops were seen spraying pepper spray into the crowds and outraged Minnesotans threw metal railings at the windows of the police precinct as the two groups clashed on Wednesday.
This followed chaotic scenes at Tuesday night's protest where demonstrators were seen dousing their faces in milk to limit the effects of the tear gas and desperately fleeing the hail of rubber bullets raining down on them.
A woman throws rocks at the police building where the four officers connected with Floyd's death worked
People launched missiles including rocks and bottles at the building where the four officers connected to Floyd's death worked.
The protest descended into chaos for the second night in a row as anger boiled over following the death of Floyd
Tensions are building after a bystander's video posted online showed Floyd, 46, pleading with arresting officers that he couldn't breathe as an officer knelt on his neck
Minnesota Governor Walz issued a plea Wednesday for people to practice social distancing and protest peacefully while calling on cops to exercise restraint at the rally.
A new incident report was also released Wednesday revealing medics arrived at the scene of Floyd's arrest to find the black man already 'unresponsive' and 'pulseless'.
Wednesday's protest started peacefully but clashes soon emerged between the demonstrators and police officers before the city erupted with violence.
One woman was seen being blasted in the face with pepper spray as she held up a banner with a slogan saying 'Charge killer cops'.
One man is being supported by other protesters and clutching his face after being struck by a beanbag
Cops are positioned on top of cars with guns while they survey the crowds of people gathered
Officers created a barrier with metal railings but some protesters tore them down
Police aim their guns into the crowds on the second night of protests
Some protesters also threw debris at a car with pro-Trump and pro-police messaging on it as it drives through the area
Officers on bicycles wear gas masks and visors while some carry guns filled with rubber bullets
People held signs saying 'silence is violence' and speak from a megaphone to the crowds
Protesters have started descending on the streets of Minneapolis for a second night over the death of George Floyd
Minnesotans began gathering outside the police precinct Wednesday for another day of protests following Floyd's death Monday
Protesters gather as a new incident report reveals medics arrived at the scene of his arrest to find the black man already 'unresponsive' and 'pulseless'
People launched missiles including rocks and bottles at the building where the four officers connected to Floyd's death worked.
Some protesters also threw debris at a car with pro-Trump and pro-police messaging on it as it drove through the area.
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third precinct close to the scene of Floyd's arrest.
Flowers and photos were laid outside the Cups Food deli where the incident unfolded Monday to pay homage to the man who family members said was 'everyone's favorite person'.
Many protesters were pictured wearing face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as Governor Walz urged people to practice social distancing.
Police officers wore riot gear and held bats as they tried to create a human barrier between demonstrators and the precinct.
Some cops were seen stationed on the roof of the building looking down on the crowds gathering below.
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third Precinct close to the scene of Floyd's arrest
Flowers and photos were laid outside the Cups Food deli where the incident unfolded Monday to pay homage to the man who family members have said was 'everyone's favorite person'
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third Precinct close to the scene of Floyd's arrest
Many protesters were pictured wearing face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as Governor Walz urged people to practice social distancing at the event
Some cops were seen stationed on the roof of the building looking down on the crowds gathering below
Authorities claimed Tuesday that Floyd had resisted arrest by cops, however footage from the scene has cast doubt on the version of events as it appears to show the 46-year-old father of two cooperating with officers as he is manhandled out of his vehicle and placed in handcuffs outside the Cup Foods grocery store on 38th and Chicago Ave in south Minneapolis.
The release of the MFD report sheds yet more light on Monday's shocking events, detailing that fire crew were called to assist medics with a man - called 'pt' in the report - who had trauma to his mouth.
It states that Fire Station 17 of Minneapolis arrived at the scene outside the Cup Foods store to find 'multiple squads on scene and small crowd of citizens'.
The report points to confusion at the scene as neither the cops nor bystanders gave information to medics on Floyd or his location.
Candles are left in memory of Floyd. Tuesday's protest descended into chaos when police and protesters clashed with cops hurling tear gas canisters into the crowds and demonstrators seen desperately fleeing the hail of rubber bullets raining down on them
Protesters call for justice for George Floyd following his death outside the Cup Foods store where he passed out after a white cop knelt on his neck for eight minutes
A cyclist rides down Portland Avenue and gives a peace sign to motorists who honked their horns to show support for George Floyd near a makeshift memorial
Signs and banners reading George Floyd's name, 'Black Lives Matter' and 'I can't breathe' were plastered at the scene
Protesters hold up their hands at the scene. An incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department released Wednesday shows the fire department was called to reports of a man with trauma to his mouth and reached the scene to be told by witnesses that cops 'had killed the man'
It says that while the crew tried to find Floyd to give medical support, they overheard and were told by 'several people that the police "had killed the man"'.
The report adds that the bystanders were 'upset but not unruly'.
Crew members were finally able to find a cop inside the store who told them medics had put Floyd in an ambulance and left the scene.
Crew members were also told by an off-duty firefighter who witnessed the end of the struggle that they had seen Floyd become unresponsive on the ground while handcuffed and subdued by cops, the report says.
Medics then called for assistance and the crew responded to the ambulance which had moved to 36th and Park Avenue.
Two crew members got into the ambulance where they found 'an unresponsive, pulseless male', the report states.
The new details emerged as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz broke his silence Wednesday after footage emerged Tuesday showing white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of black man Floyd moments before he died in custody
Two Minneapolis police officers point guns with rubber bullets as police stand guard against protesters outside the Third Precinct
A protester holds a newspaper in front of the Minneapolis police at the front of crowds starting to gather Wednesday
A man adds to the flowers and messages left in memory of Floyd as people demand justice over his death
According to the report, medics never managed to recover a pulse on route to the hospital and Floyd's 'condition did not change'.
Governor Walz broke protocol in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday to talk about the 'tragic events' in Minneapolis Monday and to send his 'deepest sympathies' to Floyd's family.
'Like so many Minnesotans and so many people across the country and world I was shocked and horrified by the video of George Floyd's death,' the governor said.
'It's very clear to anyone that what happened to George Floyd is wrong,' Walz said.
'The lack of humanity in the video as I said made me physically ill and is even more difficult to understand.'
An autopsy has not yet been completed, officials said.
Governor Walz broke protocol in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday to talk about the 'tragic events' in Minneapolis Monday and to send his 'deepest sympathies' to Floyd's family
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said during the briefing that an investigation is underway and said that the state is dealing with 'a systemic problem'
Walz thanked protesters for their peaceful rally Tuesday night - before making a thinly-veiled dig at law enforcement that some protesters ended up 'in harm's way' at the rally.
'When I was with you Saturday I closed by wishing everyone a peaceful Memorial Day,' Walz said.
'Unfortunately Memorial Day evening in Minneapolis was anything but peaceful - and neither was last night.'
Walz said he 'respect[s] the right to peacefully protest'.
'It's how people express their pain, process tragedy and work to create change,' he said.
'But I was saddened to see some of the protesters were in harm's way last night.'
Mayor Jacob Frey has called for the white officer who knelt on Floyd's neck to be criminally charged on Wednesday. Derek Chauvin (pictured) was seen pinning him down in video footage that was widely shared on Tuesday
CCTV footage from a nearby restaurant shows part of the altercation between Floyd and the officers on the scene. A handcuffed Floyd sits on the ground as a police officer, who was not seen in the original viral video, speaks to him before picking him up and holding him against the wall
Video footage shows the moment George Floyd was pulled from his car by officers during his arrest, moments before he lost consciousness after a white officer knelt on his neck for several minutes
The four fired police officers involved in Monday's incident have been identified as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng
A photo taken across the street from the scene show three officers arresting Floyd as he lay on the ground. The FBI and state law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation into the man's death
The victim's family's lawyer Ben Crump had also issued a statement urging protesters to act peacefully on Wednesday night and to not 'sink to the level of our oppressors'.
'The community is understandably and rightfully upset by the wrongful death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, and their grief and outrage are pouring out onto the streets of Minneapolis. We share these painful emotions and demand justice, but we also urge everyone who wishes to raise their voice to engage in peaceful protests and observe social distancing,'
'We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic. We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.'
Walz also urged protesters to wear face masks and practice social distancing at Wednesday's rally.
'I just want to encourage everyone to be safe in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and I want to thank protesters for their commitment to safely protest in the pandemic,' he said.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the state will 'get answers' but also urged protesters to stay safe at the protests.
'George Floyd should be alive today,' she said. 'The grief in this moment is unbearable.'
Flanagan warned that the same communities most affected by Floyd's death are those also worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic - as black communities have been disproportionately hard-hit by the outbreak.
'Last night we saw those choose to protest their grief and anger wearing masks and distancing themselves,' she said, adding that she wanted to 'thank' those protesters.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, also speaking at the press conference, said an investigation into Floyd's death is now underway.
Floyd, 46, was a father of two. His family are calling for the four officers involved to be charged with murder over his death
Ellison said the incident reminds him of historic cases of police conflict with the African-American community, such as the death of Rodney King back in 1991.
'This is not an isolated case,' he said. 'We're dealing with a systemic problem.'
'This tragic event that took the life of George Floyd is a point in time and an incident involving a person,' Ellison said.
'The reason there is so much outrage is that this is a part of a larger pattern.'
John Harrington, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, echoed sentiments from the victim's family's lawyer Ben Crump that there are worrying similarities in the case with the death of unarmed black man Eric Garner.
Garner died in 2014 after he was placed in a chokehold by New York City police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.
'It reminds me so much of the Eric Garner case in New York but I promise you that unlike the Eric Garner case we will not wait years for action,' he said.
'You will not have to wait - there will not be a lag.'
City officials on Wednesday formally identified the four fired police officers involved in Monday's incident as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng.
The cops, who were initially placed on paid administrative leave, were terminated from the Minneapolis Police Department on Tuesday after footage of Floyd's arrest was widely shared on social media.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on prosecutors Wednesday to arrest and charge Chauvin for his role in the incident.
'If most people, particularly people of color, had done what a police officer did late Monday, they'd already be behind bars,' Frey said in a tweet on Wednesday.
'That's why today I'm calling on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to charge the arresting officer in this case.'
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