Rioters in Minneapolis were seen looting and setting a dumpster ablaze Thursday night after agents with the U.S. Marshals Service fatally shot a suspect.
At around 2:10 p.m., law enforcement tried to apprehend a suspect who was wanted for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The individual was shot dead after he allegedly refused to obey commands and drew a handgun.
Protesters gathered in the area hours after the encounter and were observed putting up barricades and lighting a dumpster on fire at around 10 p.m.
CITY WORKERS TEAR DOWN BARRICADES AT GEORGE FLOYD ‘AUTONOMOUS ZONE’
Tonight protesters in Uptown have barricaded off Lake Street and Girard Ave and have started a fire after a homicide suspect that was shot and killed by authorities today. #Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/TptcS0gsFW
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) June 4, 2021
Other footage showed rioters smashing the windows of a T-Mobile store and ransacking the inside.
The BLM protest in Minneapolis devolved into looting overnight. A large group smashed their way into the @TMobile store. Exceptional video by @RebsBrannon: pic.twitter.com/BCNCcrYCmO
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 4, 2021
A CVS was also the target of an apparent looting spree.
CVS off Lake Street was broken into and looted. Currently someone has arrived to board up the shattered windows.
Police were able to arrive on scene before looters did more damage.#MinneapolisAtNight pic.twitter.com/549g0hOSMi
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) June 4, 2021
Officers donning riot gear arrived at the scene shortly after the dumpster was set ablaze, and booms were heard as the officers pushed back on demonstrators.
Violent protesting and looting by BLM rioters broke out overnight in Minneapolis after the purported law enforcement-involved shooting of an armed criminal who happened to be black. Video by @RebsBrannon: pic.twitter.com/vglgpelmD5
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 4, 2021
Videos uploaded by independent photojournalist Rebecca Brannon suggested there were several arrests throughout the night, though details were scarce.
The phrases “no trial for them,” “kill cops,” and “MPLS still hates cops” were seen tagged in graffiti on LA Fitness.
LA Fitness on Lake & Girard. #Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/9SwRiGMYAt
— ??? ??????? ???????? (@TCReporter) June 4, 2021
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Neither the U.S. Marshal Service nor the Minneapolis Police Department immediately responded to requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.
The city removed roadblocks and makeshift structures Thursday in George Floyd Square, an “autonomous zone” that has persisted since the 47-year-old black man was killed outside a Cup Foods store on May 25, 2020. Much of the rubble was removed in under four hours, though workers were met with resistance from protesters who attempted to block an intersection while chanting, “No justice, no peace.”
In the aftermath of Floyd’s death, city leaders sought to defund law enforcement, while some wanted to outright abolish the local police department. Officials in February, however, approved a motion to allocate $6.4 million to the Minneapolis Police Department to hire more officers amid a rampant uptick in crime.
The area made headlines May 25, 2021, the anniversary of Floyd’s death, after dozens of gunshots rang out during live reports from journalists. The moment was captured on an ABC News livestream in which reporter Alex Presha can be heard scrambling to find cover as a number of shots were fired.
