Fires burned unchecked and thousands protesting the police killing of George Floyd ignored a curfew as unrest overwhelmed authorities for another night in Minneapolis, and the Governor acknowledged on Saturday that he didn’t have enough manpower to contain the chaos.
The new round of tumult — which has also spread to other cities — came despite Minnesota Gov Tim Walz vowing Friday to show a more forceful response than city leaders had the day before. But by early Saturday morning, Walz said he didn’t have enough troops, even with some 500 National Guardsmen.
“We do not have the numbers,” Walz said. “We cannot arrest people when we are trying to hold ground.” Walz said he was moving quickly to mobilize more than 1,000 more Guard members, for a total of 1,700, and was considering the potential offer of federal military police. But he warned that even that might not be enough, saying he expected another difficult night Saturday.
The Pentagon on Saturday ordered the Army to put military police units on alert to head to the city on short notice at President Donald Trump’s request, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders who did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations. The rare step came as the violence spread to other cities: A man shot dead in Detroit, police cars battered in Atlanta and skirmishes with police in New York City.
Criminal charges filed Friday morning against the white officer who held his knee for nearly nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed at the time, did nothing to stem the anger. Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Minneapolis police said shots had been fired at law enforcement officers during the protests but no one was injured.
As the night dragged on, fires erupted across the city’s south side, including at a Japanese restaurant, a Wells Fargo bank and an Office Depot. Many burned for hours, with firefighters again delayed in reaching them because areas weren’t secure.
Shortly before midnight, scores of officers on foot and in vehicles moved in to curb the violence, one day after city and state leaders faced blowback for their handling of the crisis. On Thursday, protesters had torched a police station soon after it was abandoned by police and went on to burn or vandalize dozens of businesses.
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association urged Gov Walz to accept any help.
“You need more resources,” the group said in a tweet. “Law enforcement needs leadership.” Not all the protests were violent. Downtown, thousands of demonstrators encircled a barricaded police station after the 8 p.M. Friday curfew. “Prosecute the police!” some chanted, and “Say his name: George Floyd!” Some protesters sprayed graffiti on buildings.
Anger filled the streets of Minneapolis.
Ben Hubert, a 26-year-old local resident, said he wasn’t surprised people were breaking curfew and setting fires. “I’m outraged,” he said of the Floyd case. “But I’m also sad. The injustice has been going on for so long. It’s been swelling for years.”
Chauvin was also accused of ignoring another officer who expressed concerns about Floyd as he pleaded that he could not breathe, while Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a store.
