Six people were arrested Thursday after demonstrators in New York City clashed with law enforcement and vandalized a prominent monument in Central Park.
Footage from the night showed the large statue, which was later identified as the USS Maine, defaced with red paint and tagged with derogatory phrases aimed at police. Two people were arrested in connection to vandalism on charges of criminal mischief, making graffiti, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, the New York Police Department told the Washington Examiner.
“We respect’s [sic] everyone right to peacefully protest, but vandalism is not part of peaceful protest,” the NYPD wrote in a tweet. “We are working to de-escalate the situation to prevent further damage from occurring.”
VIOLENT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN POLICE AND BLACK LIVES MATTER NETS NEARLY 30 ARRESTS
We respect’s everyone right to peacefully protest, but vandalism is not part of peaceful protest. We are working to de-escalate the situation to prevent further damage from occurring. pic.twitter.com/UQ9FVl6f69
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 23, 2021
Four others were apprehended throughout the night, including two charged for obstruction. One person, a 26-year-old female who allegedly struck another individual with a skateboard before spitting at arresting officers, was brought into custody, the NYPD said. The sixth was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.
Additional video from the unrest showed uniformed officers and protesters standing toe-to-toe before a shoving match began.
Daunte Wright was pronounced dead April 11 after former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, officer Kim Potter mistook her firearm for a Taser and shot him. Potter has since been arrested and charged with manslaughter.
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On Tuesday, authorities in Columbus, Ohio, released body camera footage of an officer-involved shooting where a policeman fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant after she wielded a knife, apparently trying to stab another teenager. An investigation has commenced, and Mayor Andrew Ginther said, “The officer took action to protect another young girl in our community.”
