A man armed with a bow was swarmed by people during a protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
The man, standing beside his black SUV on the street, can be heard shouting, “All lives matter,” in response to a woman taking video, which was later posted to social media.
He then appeared to point his bow and arrow at the crowd, after which people from all sides rushed and tackled him.
Witnesses told local media the man also had a large knife and tried to shoot an arrow.
After the protesters attacked the man, the police showed up and pulled the man out of the crowd, according to local reports.
The crowd then broke into the man’s vehicle, flipped it, and set it on fire.
KSL TV reported that the man was taken into police custody. But the man later spoke to FOX 13, identifying himself as Brandon McCormick and claiming he had shown up to assist officers.
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday, which by the afternoon had turned violent.
Gov. Gary Herbert said he activated the National Guard to “help control the escalating situation in downtown Salt Lake City. I once again call on all who are protesting to do so peacefully.” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a curfew extending from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday morning.
Protests have popped up in major cities across the country after 46-year-old George Floyd died in the custody of Minneapolis police on Monday. Floyd, a black man, died after white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin restrained him by placing his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Chauvin and three other officers involved in Floyd’s detainment were fired on Tuesday. Chauvin was taken into custody on Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Since then, large and often violent protests have broken out in Minneapolis, St. Paul, New York City, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and dozens of other cities.
