Throwing bricks has become a frequent tactic during riots around the country that have erupted following George Floyd’s death in police custody.
The Kansas City Police Department reported Sunday that it found “stashes of bricks and rocks” where protesters have rioted and urged people to alert 911 if they come across such caches.
“We have learned of & discovered stashes of bricks and rocks in & around the Plaza and Westport to be used during a riot. If you see anything like this, you can text 911 and let us know so we can remove them. This keeps everyone safe and allows your voice to continue to be heard,” the KCPD posted on Twitter.
We have learned of & discovered stashes of bricks and rocks in & around the Plaza and Westport to be used during a riot. If you see anything like this, you can text 911 and let us know so we can remove them. This keeps everyone safe and allows your voice to continue to be heard.
— kcpolice (@kcpolice) May 31, 2020
A video of protests over the weekend in Dallas showed two men come across a pallet of bricks on the street where they said there’s “no damn construction.”
“They” staged a pallet of bricks in Dallaspic.twitter.com/jp9IoUUuRT
— Ali † FORT WORTH PATRIOTS DM ME (@ali) May 30, 2020
In New York City, a reporter for NTD News tweeted a video of protesters saying they found bricks as they removed fencing from around a pallet of the stone.
“Yo, we got bricks. We got bricks!”—#Rioters in Manhattan chanced upon a cache in the street equipped with bricks and a shovel at 10:01 p.m. on Second Ave between St. Marks Pl. and Seventh St. pic.twitter.com/dYB7vHdYqL
— Kevin R Hogan (@KRHogan_NTD) May 31, 2020
An editor at “progressive” newspaper Indy Week in Raleigh, North Carolina, said she was in her office when the “first brick was thrown.”
I’m devastated. We are a progressive newspaper. Last night I was inside when the first brick was thrown #Raleigh pic.twitter.com/MJvPdscyqf
— Leigh of House (@LeighTauss) May 31, 2020
Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall has also said she was nearly hit by a brick when they started flying after the protest became violent in the city.
“Everything was peaceful,” Hall said. “Then all of a sudden, bricks started hailing [in], hitting out squad cars, hitting the officers … and then I nearly got hit with a brick.”
The protests took a violent turn over the weekend as riots broke out in nearly every major city across the country, leading to an estimated 4,100 arrests.
Floyd died last week when a now-fired officer, Derek Chauvin, held his knee to the man’s neck as he begged to get a chance to breathe. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers were involved with Floyd’s arrest and have been fired but not charged.
