There’s a great deal to be upset about regarding the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers under color of authority, but it’s quite another thing for protesters to turn into rioters and steal stuff under cover of righteous indignation.
That’s what happened in Minneapolis Wednesday night after Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced that four police officers involved in the stop on Sunday night were fired.
Floyd died in custody Sunday night after getting stopped for forgery. Floyd was held down at his neck by an officer using his knee. Onlookers recorded the hold for minutes as Floyd protested he couldn’t breathe and eventually passed out. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Protesters staked out an area in front of the local police precinct across the street from the Target store. Riot police held off the crowd with their bicycles, flash bangs, and pepper spray.
Protesters broke off into riotous mobs who smashed their way into Target where looters stole every imaginable thing.
The rioters’ righteous anger impelled them to grab … yes, that’s an air fryer in that photo above. Nothing says f*ck the police like frying up some grub or, as one woman did, grabbing baby clothes. Another guy must have checked out a friend’s wedding registry before rioting because he walked out with several sets of bedding. That, or he was planning to stay all night and needed, you know, a blanket or five.
RAW VIDEO: Dozens of people loot the Target store near Minneapolis Police's 3rd Precinct building in the midst of the #GeorgeFloyd protest. (WARNING: Contains strong language). The other protest at the scene of Floyd's death remains peaceful. Read More: https://t.co/W5GdKvLI7g pic.twitter.com/9Pjt6oWLzI
— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) May 28, 2020
CBS Minneapolis reported that the mayor was disgusted by video taken by bystanders at the scene as Floyd begged police to let up, saying he couldn’t breathe.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey saw this entire video and called it “wrong on every level.”
“I believe what I saw and what I saw was wrong at every level. This does not reflect the values that Chief Arradondo has worked tirelessly to instill. It does not represent the training we’ve invested in or the measures we’ve taken to ensure accountability. Being black in America should not be a death sentence,” Frey said.
The attorney representing Floyd’s family called it abusive and excessive. The police union said this is not the time to rush to judgment.
The video below was part of a live stream of the protest turned riot.
Our Minneapolis #GeorgeFloyd protest stream is back up, now with increased quality. We will stay live for you, networks permitting:https://t.co/4DTgvFtAzQ
— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) May 28, 2020
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