Protesters damaged the Minneapolis Police Department's Fifth Precinct building in south Minneapolis on Saturday night, breaking a window with rocks and leaving graffiti.
Minneapolis Fifth Police Precinct hit with rocks, graffiti
Police investigating violence and multiple shootings overnight.
August 16, 2020 at 10:39PM
Chief Medaria Arradondo said in a statement Sunday that he will not tolerate people "hijacking peaceful protests" and engaging in destructive behavior that included targeting officers with commercial-grade fireworks."
"Acts such as these do absolutely nothing to constructively engage and activate true and real needed reforms," he said. "The vast majority of the men and women of the MPD who continue to come to work each day and night are doing so to keep our communities safe and make a positive difference. I support them and their efforts working professionally during this pandemic, amidst an increase in violent crime and as we diligently press forward in creating a new MPD in partnership with our communities."
Between 50 and 60 people marched to the precinct, 3101 S. Nicollet Av., around 10 p.m. They appeared peaceful at first, according to police spokesman John Elder, but the group became violent.
Elder said some staff members were inside when protesters started throwing large rocks and paint on the building and cameras. Officers in the area responded and were shot at with fireworks, but Elder said no one was injured.
Additional officers were called to respond, but protesters fled before they arrived, Elder said.
The incident is under investigation, and Arradondo said those engaged in the vandalism "will be prosecuted to the full extent lawfully."
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said on Twitter that it's "tired of being nice and politically correct to people who destroy, burn and loot. These are not rational people and only want destruction."
Police are also investigating multiple shootings Saturday night that injured five people. One victim reported being shot around 9:40 p.m. near W. 29th Street and S. Lyndale Avenue. At the same time, officers responded to the 1600 block of S. 36th Street where a man and a woman in their 20s were shot. Police said preliminary information suggests the shooting may have been connected to a robbery.
At 1 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the 900 block of N. 22nd Avenue, where a man in his late 20s was shot. About two hours later, officers were called to HCMC to speak to a man his late 20s who said he was shot near W. 22nd Street and Lyndale Avenue.
Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751
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