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May 29 coverage of nationwide unrest and ongoing protests

Here are the latest updates.
Image: A check-cashing business burns as a protester raises his fist in Minneapolis on May 29, 2020.
A check-cashing business burns as a protester raises his fist late Friday in Minneapolis. John Minchillo / AP

This live coverage has now ended. Continue reading May 30 coverage of George Floyd's death and the Minneapolis protests.

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer seen kneeling on the neck of George Floyd before his death, was arrested Friday on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.

The arrest comes after outrage over Floyd’s death and protests overnight during which the police precinct where Chauvin was stationed was set ablaze.

Download the NBC News app for the latest updates.

Watch: Fury unfolds at protests across the country

Portland, Oregon, mayor: 'This is a riot. It's a full-on riot'

Police in Portland, Oregon, early Saturday declared a "riot" and ordered people to leave downtown after multiple fires were set and objects were thrown at officers.

Looting was reported, cars were burned and windows were smashed. The Multnomah County Justice Center was "attacked," and a fire was lit inside, police said. The fire is reported to have since been put out.

"This is a riot. It's a full-on riot," Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a phone interview with NBC affiliate KGW. "We see people burning cars, we see people damaging businesses large and small, including some businesses I believe which are owned by local African-American business owners. We're seeing looting."

Wheeler demanded that people go home.

"What I see here does not honor in any way the legacy of George Floyd," Wheeler said. "This is something completely different."

Police said one person was shot — not by police — in the protest, and that person was treated and released.

Minnesota gov. hints that white supremacists, drug cartels could be part of widespread chaos

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he is aware of unconfirmed reports that gangs of white supremacists are taking advantage of the anarchy unfolding in Minneapolis to create more chaos.

The comment came during an early morning press conference Saturday in which Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and members of the law enforcement community laid out plans for containing the destruction that has spread through much of the Twin Cities. 

When asked by a reporter if Walz was aware of rumors that white supremacists had joined some of the looting he said based on "my suspicions and what I've seen on this, yes."

"It gets worse than that," he added. "The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level."

Walz added that he is working closely with the federal government to gather intelligence on who is participating in the destruction and whether they belong to organized groups.

Oakland protests highlight city’s troubled relationship with its own police department

Jacob Ward

Oakland protesters carried signs for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tamir Rice, but another name was everywhere: Oscar Grant, killed by BART police on New Year’s Day 2009.

The city’s troubled relationship with its own police department - OPD is in its 17th year under a federal consent decree for civil rights violations - was powerfully expressed Friday night.

Police in Oakland stayed in place for most of the evening, establishing a cordon around the downtown Oakland precinct. But by 9 p.m., protesters began throwing bottles and fireworks, and police responded with tear gas, fired in high arcs over the crowd and pushing them back several blocks.

The long history of protest action here meant that protesters urged each other to walk while fleeing to avoid a stampede, and many carried jugs of milk to pour into eyes burning from the gas.

Several storefront windows were broken, small fires set throughout downtown, and a bank was in flames by 11 o’clock.

As midnight approached, Oakland’s central Broadway corridor was still packed with protesters, but shop owners had begun venturing into the streets to pull aside improvised barricades left behind by protesters.

'No justice, no peace!' protesters rally in Chicago

Deputy opens fire at San Jose protest

Dennis Romero and Todd Miyazawa

Law enforcement opened fire during a George Floyd protest in San Jose on Friday night, police said. 

The shooting involved the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and happened at 9:06 p.m., said Sgt. Enrique Garcia of the San Jose Police Department. No city police were involved, he said.

NBC Bay Area reported that the target was a vehicle that had been captured on cellphone video striking one or more demonstrators. The driver allegedly disobeyed the commands of deputies at the scene before one opened fire, the station said.

The extent of any injuries in the shooting and collision were not detailed by the sheriff's department. The San Jose department was investigating, sheriff's officials said.

Man shot and killed during Detroit protests

A 19-year-old man was fatally shot amid protests Friday night in Detroit, and authorities are looking for a suspect, police said.

The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. when a suspect in a gray Dodge Durango "pulled up to the location and fired shots into the crowd," police said in a statement.

The victim was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries. Police said that after the shooting, the suspect fled. Police Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood said that circumstances of the shooting and a motive were still under investigation.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said that the "vast majority" of protesters were peaceful, but several police vehicles were damaged and a police command officer was transported to a hospital after being hit with a rock. No other officers were injured.

Craig said that he is angry over Floyd's death, his colleagues in policing all across the nation are angry, and he respects the rights of people to protest. "But I will not stand by and let a small minority of criminals come in here, attack our officers and make our community unsafe," Craig said.

Nine people were arrested, and Craig said that of those nine, seven were from outside of the city of Detroit. "So do us a favor. If you live outside of the city, why don't you protest in your hometown," Craig told reporters. "If you do want to come down and make a statement, do it in a peaceful manner."

Shots fired off Minneapolis police precinct

Minneapolis police said shots were fired at the 5th police precinct station during unrest that stretched from Friday night into Saturday morning. 

No officers were injured, according to police. Protesters were warned to immediately disperse or risk arrest.

Protesters on Thursday swarmed the 3rd police precinct station in Minneapolis, which served as the home base of the four former officers involved in the detainment of George Floyd.

Protesters block traffic near the Colorado Capitol

Image: People block traffic near the Colorado State Capitol during a protest demanding justice in the death of George Floyd in Denver on May 29, 2020.
People block traffic near the Colorado State Capitol during a protest demanding justice in the death of George Floyd in Denver on May 29, 2020.Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images

Minnesota gov. calls early morning news conference

Phoenix sees protests over local and national police killings

Phoenix saw more protests on Friday as demonstrators took to the streets to protest the killings of George Floyd and Arizona resident Dion Johnson, a black man who was shot and killed by an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper on Monday.

Protesters marched to the Phoenix police headquarters and were met by calls from police to disperse when they arrived. Phoenix PD fired tear gas into the crowd and used flash bangs to try to disperse the protestors, according to NBC Phoenix affiliate KPNX.

Oakland police declare protest unlawful after officers injured

Police in Oakland, California, declared a protest unlawful Friday night after "multiple officers were injured when projectiles were thrown."

"We are requesting people to leave the area," police said in a tweet shortly before 10 p.m.

Protesters in Oakland also made their way onto a freeway and shut down traffic, NBC Bay Area reported.

Protesters torch post office, gas station in Minneapolis

Protesters in Minneapolis lit fires at a Shell gas station, Wells Fargo Bank and a U.S. Post Office building Friday night as thousands of people swarmed the city despite a curfew. 

NBC affiliate KARE 11 News tweeted photos and videos of the fires, plus images of law enforcement officers marching in formation towards a police precinct. 

The unrest dissolved another night of looting, jumping in front of cars and starting fires throughout the city.

"All of our hearts are breaking that this is happening in our state," said KARE anchor Julie Nelson.

Police use tear gas to push Oakland protesters back

White House protests continue into night

Governor says Minnesota National Guard on the ground

Louisville demonstrators help clean up protest area

Los Angeles police declare 'unlawful assembly' after violence

Police in Los Angeles declared an "unlawful assembly" downtown Friday night after a day of protests in which one officer was injured, authorities said.

The LAPD tweeted around 9:25 p.m. that the declaration was made "following repeated acts of violence & property damage."

Around 9 p.m., police were in what was described as a skirmish line to keep crowds back from LAPD headquarters and appeared to use irritant "pepper balls." Crowds then gathered outside City Hall and a line of police were seen blocking the stairs.

The protests in Los Angeles, as well as in other cities, follow the death of George Floyd. 

One Los Angeles police officer was hurt around 7:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital, an LAPD spokesman said. The injuries were not clear but they are not life-threatening, and circumstances of the injury were not immediately available.

There was another call for an officer who needed assistance at around 8:30 p.m., and the spokesman believed that officer may have been hit with a bottle. 

Earlier, protesters were on the 101 freeway and blocked traffic for a time.

Georgia declares state of emergency in Fulton County

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced early Saturday morning that he has declared a state of emergency in Fulton County, home to Atlanta, because of protests rocking the city.

Kemp said the issue comes “at the request” of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and that it will activate up to 500 members of the Georgia National Guard “to protect people and property in Atlanta.” The governor said the National Guard will deploy to Atlanta immediately.

The announcement comes after Atlanta saw mass demonstrations Friday into early Saturday, where protesters set a police car on fire, struck officers with bottles, vandalized the headquarters of CNN, and broke into a restaurant in downtown Atlanta.

Dallas police chief: 'Don't hit my folks'

Dallas police chief Reneé Hall walked downtown streets late Friday night and promised protesters the run of roads - as long as they "don't hit my folks."

In an exchange captured by the Dallas Morning News, Hall told a protester: "We're giving you the street, we’re giving you the sidewalk, we're not telling you to move - but you can't hit my folks. Don't hit my folks, OK? Someone threw  rock at my officers. Don't do that, don't do that." 

At least one police officer was injured Friday night as protests erupted and tear gas was fired in downtown Dallas, officials said. Protesters marched on Dallas Police Department headquarters in downtown and officers fired their first rounds of tear gas at about 9:30 p.m., NBC Dallas reported.

Two NY lawmakers report being pepper-sprayed during Brooklyn protests

Two New York lawmakers attending a protest in Brooklyn Friday night said they were pepper-sprayed by New York City police officers.

State Senator Zellnor Myrie wrote about the accident on Twitter. “We came in solidarity and to keep the peace,” Myrie wrote. “We are still processing what happened.”

Diana Richardson, a New York State Assemblywoman, said she was also pepper-sprayed while peacefully protesting.

“This is uncalled for," Richardson told a reporter at the scene.

Myrie also said he and Richardson were handcuffed by police. The news comes just hours after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city's police officers "have been given a very clear instruction: as always, respect peaceful protest.

Car drives through protest crowd in Bakersfield, California, sending people fleeing

A vehicle sped through crowds of protesters in Bakersfield, California, Friday, sending demonstrators who had been in the roadway running for safety and enraging the crowd, video showed.

A police spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment, and it was unclear from officials if anyone was injured.

A reporter with NBC affiliate KGET tweeted that a car "drove full force through the crowd" and one woman was later seen being taken away in an ambulance, but it was unclear whether that person was hit by the vehicle or what the injuries may have been.

Crowds of protesters held signs and chanted outside police headquarters over the death of George Floyd, the black man who died Monday after being pinned to the ground with a knee on his neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Signs had slogans including "Black Lives Matter," "Make Racists Afraid Again" and "No Justice No Peace" with cars driving by and honking, video showed.

Crowds chanted "George Floyd" and "I Can't Breathe." KGET reported that the crowd was several hundred.

As Floyd was on the ground with the knee on his neck, he said that he could not breathe. Four police officers have been fired. One of those, the officer who was seen in video with his knee on Floyd's neck, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter Friday.

 

Protesters gather outside White House

WASHINGTON — The nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd reached close to the doorstep of the White House Friday night, as demonstrators tussled with Secret Service and other law enforcement officers in riot gear over metal barricades.

Gathering for hours in Lafayette Square, a public park across a closed street from the White House, demonstrators chanted and threw objects across a security line.

As of 11:45 p.m., the protest had not turned violent. But there was little sign that it was subsiding. The sound of helicopters flying overhead could be heard through the heart of the city periodically for several hours Friday night.

Louisville, Kentucky, sees second night of protests

Demonstrations erupted for a second night on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, where residents protested the death of Breonna Taylor and seven people were shot in a similar protest on Thursday. 

Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, was killed by Louisville police on March 13 when three plainclothes officers raided her home during a “no-knock” search warrant.

Her death, and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked protests in the Southern city as people demanded change and justice.

Hundreds filled the streets in Louisville again on Friday and were met with a heavy police presence. 

Authorities fired tear gas at protesters, and multiple fires were seen burning on the streets as helicopters hovered overhead.

Kaitlin Rust, a reporter for local NBC affiliate Wave3, was on air when she yelled and said she was "getting shot" by non-lethal rubber bullets or pepper bullets.

Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott wrote on Twitter that has tear-gassed by Louisville police while protesting. 

“This was after one of your officers kept pushing me without ever asking me to move. This was after we were never asked to disperse,” Scott wrote. “This was during a peaceful protest”

Protesters rally near White House

NBC News

Beyoncé: We need justice for George Floyd

Protesters smash glass at College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta

Protesters sacked the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Friday night, smashing glass and damaging the front of the museum

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms pleaded for peace: "What I see happening on the streets of Atlanta is not Atlanta. This is not a protest, This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr."

Police in riot gear in Minneapolis

Image: Protest against the death of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis
Police officers secure the area during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 29, 2020.Lucas Jackson / Reuters

NYC Mayor de Blasio: Long night ahead

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged that protests had escalated in his home borough of Brooklyn late Friday night. 

De Blasio's dire tweet came not long after an NYPD van was torched by protesters, decrying the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Journalists in Louisville hit by pepper bullets while on live TV

Journalists in Louisville, Kentucky, covering local protests Friday night appeared to be hit by pepper balls fired by a police officer.

Kaitlin Rust, a reporter for local NBC affiliate Wave3, was on air when she yelled and said she was "getting shot" by non-lethal rubber bullets or pepper bullets. 

The camera operator captured a police officer who was firing, who then turned the weapon directly into the camera and continued to fire. 

Wave3's anchors asked her who they were aiming at. "At us, like directly at us," Rust said.

Dozens arrested during NYC protests

There were at least 50 arrests Friday night in New York City due to protests over the death of George Floyd, a senior New York Police Department official said.

The violent protests resulted in numerous officers suffering injuries such as bloody noses, lost teeth and leg injuries, the official said.

In Brooklyn, protesters were forced back at a stationhouse but set an empty police van on fire.

Protesters break windows, set trash fires in San Jose, California

Image: San Jose protest
A protester confronts San Jose police as they advance, in San Jose, Calif. on May 29, 2020.Ben Margot / AP

At least three Dumpsters were on fire and vandals smashed some windows in San Jose, California, on Friday during protests over the death of George Floyd, the black man who died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck.

Some bottles were also thrown at police officers, who had what appeared to be riot helmets and batons, with some in gas masks, NBC Bay Area reported. One person was seen smashing the rear of a police vehicle.

It was not clear if there were arrests. At least one law enforcement officer was apparently injured during protests and was seen being evacuated by others to safety, but it wasn't immediately clear what occurred.

Restaurant owner George Louh told NBC Bay Area in a phone interview that a protester smashed one window of his business and then another window was damaged. 

Police moved into the area and "we're over here just holding our breath like everybody else." Louh said. He said the businesses is minority owned. 

There had been hundreds but by around 7:30 p.m. many demonstrators left, and much smaller groups appeared to remain, NBC Bay Area reported on air. 

In Sacramento, what appeared to be large crowds of marchers demonstrated Friday evening. At one point crowds faced off with police near a police station, NBC affiliate KCRA reported.

Protesters torch NYPD van in Brooklyn

Image: NYPD Van fire
A New York Police Department van was set ablaze in Brooklyn on Friday night as protests, decrying the death of George Floyd, sprung up across the city.Myles N. Miller / NBC New York

A New York Police Department van was set ablaze in Brooklyn on Friday night as protests, decrying the death of George Floyd, sprung up across the city.

An NBC New York reporter posted video of the moment when an NYPD van went up in flames near the corner of Dekalb Avenue and Fort Greene Place, just blocks from the Barclays Center, a major protest hub on Friday night. 

As the sun went down, hundreds of protesters also massed at Foley Square, steps away from Manhattan’s criminal, federal and civil courthouses. The protesters there chanted, “I can’t breathe,” the words uttered by Floyd before he died - and the same desperate appeal voiced by Eric Garner, who was killed in Staten Island during a confrontation with police in 2014. 

Houston mayor urges crowd to go home

NBC News

In Houston, where George Floyd grew up, several thousand people rallied in front of City Hall. As the scene grew more volatile after dark, Mayor Sylvester Turner urged residents to go home. 

Booking photo of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin released

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. He remains in police custody. 

Image: Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin
Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin.Ramsey County Jail

After Trump's posts about looters, Zuckerberg says he's 'struggling' but leaving them up

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Friday he wasn’t going to take down President Donald Trump’s posts about shooting alleged looters in Minneapolis nor put a warning on them as Twitter did, but he acknowledged he had been "struggling all day" with how to respond.

Zuckerberg, in a late afternoon post on his Facebook wall, largely stood by his long-held view that social media companies should take a light touch when deciding how to moderate the statements of politicians.

“I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this, but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves, because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open,” Zuckerberg said.

Trump early Friday posted on both Twitter and Facebook that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” — a phrase with an ominous history that many readers interpreted as a threat to shoot American citizens.

Twitter left the message up but put it behind a warning label so that users would need to click through to see it.

Read the full story here.

Outrage over George Floyd's death could tip fortunes in Joe Biden's VP search

As Joe Biden’s vice presidential search moves into a new, more concentrated phase, issues of race and criminal justice raised by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis appear likely to intensify a public pressure campaign as to who he should choose.

It revived one of the biggest questions surrounding Biden’s choice: Will he choose not just a woman, but a woman of color?

The stakes are highest for one Democrat who has long seen as a potential favorite of Biden — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Her handling of police-involved cases has been branded as disqualifying for some.

On the other end of the spectrum is Florida Rep. Val Demings, an African American and former Orlando police chief whose public profile grew after serving as a House impeachment manager earlier this year.

Biden’s search for a running mate has already proven to be a more public process than usual, with some of the more than dozen potential candidates at times seeming to audition or campaign for the role. The former VP has himself discussed his deliberations over the choice more in public than any previous apparent nominee.

Read the full story here.

Atlanta mayor: 'We are better than this'

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms delivered an impassioned address to protesters Friday, urging them not to burn down a city with a deep legacy of African American achievement.

Vandals damaged nine police vehicles and broke windows at CNN headquarters as they took to the streets to decry the recent deaths of African Americans George Floyd, killed by a white police officer Monday, Ahmaud Arbery, fatally shot by a white man while he was jogging, and Breonna Taylor, killed by police during a raid of her home.

"This city that has had a legacy of black mayors and black police chiefs," Bottoms said. "if you care about this city then go home. This won't change anything."

The mayor said Atlanta rapper T.I. and activist Killer Mike, who later took to the same lectern at a news conference to urge peace, "own half the Westside -- so when you burn down this city you’re burning down our community."

"We are better than this," she said.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., also delivered remarks at the news conference, noting her father, born in Atlanta, was steadfast about nonviolent protest. "The only pathway I know how to do this is through nonviolent means," she said.

CNN headquarters in Atlanta defaced by protestors

Protestors damaged windows outside CNN's headquarters in Atlanta on Friday and spray painted a company sign. 

Atlanta was one of many U.S. cities where large protests have broken out over the killing of George Floyd. A large group of protestors formed in downtown Atlanta, with a significant number of law enforcement officers sent to the area.

Some of those protestors targeted CNN's nearby building, breaking windows and defacing the large CNN sign outside the building. A small group of police officers entered the buildings to ensure protestors did remained on the outside. 

CNN broadcast scenes from the building's lobby where law enforcement had been positioned. At one point, some small explosions that appeared to be firecrackers thrown by protestors into the building pushed CNN's Nick Valencia to retreat farther into the building.

'Let my building burn': Owner of damaged Minneapolis restaurant supports protest

Alexander Kacala

Over the past few days, the Islam family had converted their Minneapolis restaurant Gandhi Mahal into a refuge for protesters seeking shelter from the police's mace, tear gas and rubber bullets.

Early Thursday morning, they learned their eatery had burned down as protesters took to the streets over the arrest and killing of George Floyd.

"We won’t lose hope though, I am so grateful for our neighbors who did their best to stand guard and protect Gandhi Mahal, Youre efforts won’t go unrecognized," wrote Hafsa Islam, the 18-year-old daughter of owner Ruhel Islam, in a now-viral Facebook post. "Dont worry about us, we will rebuild and we will recover."

"Let my building burn, justice needs to be served,” Ruhel said, according to the post. Those words seemed to resonate with fans and followers, causing the post to be shared more than 20,000 times.

The post continued: "Gandhi Mahal May have felt the flames last night, but our firey drive to help protect and stand with our community will never die! Peace be with everyone."

In 1996, Ruhel Islam came to the United States from Bangladesh when he was 19 years old, working as a busboy in New York City.

"When I came here to America, I was a stranger," he told TODAY Food. "I am from Bangladesh, you know, we experienced police like this. We lived in a police state."

Read the full story here.

George Floyd's death and civil unrest thrust Mayor Jacob Frey into spotlight

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who pledged "to mend wounds" in a city that's struggled with police brutality for years, has been thrust into the spotlight after protests and rioting rocked his city over the death of George Floyd.

President Donald Trump attacked Frey, elected in 2017, as a "very weak Radical Left Mayor" who needs "to get his act together and bring the City under control."

Frey defended himself and his city and said Friday: "Weakness is pointing your finger at somebody else during a time of crisis. Donald Trump knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis. We are strong as hell."

Frey, a civil rights lawyer, campaigned on issues of police reform and racial inequality when the then-city councilman ran for mayor in 2017.

Read the full story here.

Customs and Border Protection used drone over Minneapolis

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that it used a drone over Minneapolis.

A CBP spokesperson said it received a request to dispatch an unmanned aircraft system from its federal law enforcement partners to assist with “situational awareness” through live video.

“The unmanned aircraft system provides live video feed to ground law enforcement, giving them situational awareness, maximizing public safety, while minimizing the threat to personnel and assets,” according the statement.

CBP said that its Air and Marine Operations regularly work with officials across federal, state and local agencies to help with both “law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts.”

The American Civil Liberties Union reacted online to reports of a drone over Minneapolis, that it “should be halted immediately.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also weighed in on social media too, stating, “We need answers.”

“After arriving into the Minneapolis airspace, the requesting agency determined that the aircraft was no longer needed for operational awareness and departed back to Grand Forks,” a CBP spokesperson added. 

Mississippi mayor ignores calls to resign over comments on George Floyd's death

Petal, Mississippi, Mayor Hal Marx is resisting calls to resign after he said “if you can talk, you can breathe" about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

"What I said, came out in a way that I wish I said it differently," Marx said Thursday night. "It wasn't to minimize that gentleman's death."

Floyd, 46, who was black, died in Minneapolis police custody Monday after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned him to the ground and put his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. Chauvin and three other officers have been fired, and on Friday Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Marx had tweeted: "If you are talking about the incident in MN, I didn’t see anything unreasonable. If you can say you can't breathe, you’re breathing. Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack," with no evidence. 

The Petal Board of Aldermen held a special meeting Thursday night and the board voted unanimously to ask for Marx's resignation. In Mississippi, an elected official can only be involuntarily removed from office if he or she has committed a felony, according to the Clarion Ledger. Petal is about 90 miles southeast of Jackson.

Read the full story here.

National protests over George Floyd's death was 'conflagration waiting to happen'

Minneapolis remained on edge Friday after another chaotic night when a police station and other buildings were torched, and protesters there and in neighboring St. Paul hit the streets in demonstrations marred by violence, vandalism and looting.

But it wasn't only the Twin Cities where emotions have run high in reaction to George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man heard crying out "I can't breathe" during a police encounter on Monday and whose death has become the latest flash point in a string of fatalities involving African Americans.

While the arrest Friday of Derek Chauvin, one of the Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's death, on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter may blunt some of the initial anger that has boiled over, tensions will remain fraught as long as there's a lag in charges for the three other officers in the case, black activists and community members say.

"This is a young rage, the same way young people took to the streets in the 1960s, 70s and 80s," Saje Mathieu, a history professor at the University of Minnesota who lives in suburban Minneapolis, said. "They're saying, 'We're already cut. We're already hurt. We're already bruised. There's no other way to communicate my pain and rage than to take to the streets.'"

That pain has resonated in major cities across the country, where protests were expected to unfold Friday night and over the weekend from Atlanta to Oakland, California, and Denver to Dallas.

Click here for the full story

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White House lockdown lifted after protests

Dartunorro Clark and Freddie Tunnard

The U.S. Secret Service lifted the lockdown on The White House Friday after growing unrest in Washington and around the country related to the death of George Floyd. 

The lockdown was in effect for a little over an hour. The Secret Service had closed off the White House press room doors as a precaution, instructing members of the media not to leave the area. 

Multiple videos of protests have circulated on social media showing protesters calling for justice in the police-involved killing and jostling with law enforcement. One protester was also seen scaling the wall of a federal building to spray paint an obscenity directed at the president. 

"In the interest of public safety we encourage all to remain peaceful," the Secret Service said in a tweet.

NBC News

Trump says he spoke with George Floyd's family: 'I just expressed my sorrow'

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he spoke with members of George Floyd's family, calling them "terrific people," and adding that the protests in Minneapolis were "bad for the memory" of Floyd, who died at the hands of police earlier this week.

“I spoke to members of the family, terrific people, and we'll be reporting as time goes by," Trump said during an event at the White House Friday evening.

“I just expressed my sorrow. That was a horrible thing to witness," Trump continued, adding that it "looked like there was no excuse for it.”

Trump said that he could tell the family was "grieving very much" and that he could see that "they loved their brother.”

Click here for the full story. 

Wrestling coach in Washington state fired over post on George Floyd's detention

Wrestling coach Dave Hollenbeck.
Wrestling coach Dave Hollenbeck's Facebook post.Dave Hollenbeck / via Facebook

A high school wrestling coach in Washington state has been fired over a post about George Floyd's getting pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer.

Dave Hollenbeck, a first-year coach at Bethel High School, uploaded a photo to Facebook of himself on the floor, smiling, with a knee to the back of his neck, similar to images of Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, who died on Monday after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a white officer, Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for about eight minutes.

Hollenbeck, 44, wrote in the post: "Not dead yet I'm doing this for ... police officers the media is a race baiting machine and I'm tired of it I’m going to speak out every time if you don’t like that I’m sorry but I love All people.. Wake up America."

Read the full story here

Graham calls for Senate hearing on police use of force following George Floyd's death

Dartunorro Clark and Frank Thorp V

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Judiciary Committee chair, said Friday the panel would hold a hearing on officers' use of force following the police-involved death of George Floyd. 

“We intend to shine a bright light on the problems associated with Mr. Floyd’s death, with the goal of finding a better way forward for our nation," Graham said in a statement. 

Graham said he and ranking member Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., "are appalled at what we saw and believe it is important to have a hearing as soon as possible as to how to combat this outrage."

Derek Chauvin, who was fired on Tuesday along with three other officers involved in the detainment of Floyd, was arrested Friday and charged with murder and manslaughter.

“The Committee intends to call a wide variety of witnesses on the topics of better policing, addressing racial discrimination regarding the use of force, as well as building stronger bonds between communities and police," Graham said. 

 

Trump: George Floyd's family 'is entitled to justice'

George Floyd and officer who kneeled on his neck had worked at same nightclub, former owner says

George Floyd worked at the same local nightclub as the Minneapolis police officer who was shown on video kneeling on Floyd's neck as he said, "I can't breathe."

Floyd, who died in police custody after his arrest on Monday, would occasionally provide security inside El Nuevo Rodeo club, according to former owner Maya Santamaria, who has since sold the club.

Floyd was a sweet man with a big smile, she recalled.

"He would say, 'Hi boss lady. How you doing tonight?' Real sweet guy, lots of charisma," she said. "He was very beloved in the Latino community and certainly in his community as well."

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Nation's police widely condemn move used to restrain George Floyd

Most of the nation's police departments have long cautioned their officers against putting pressure on the back or neck of someone lying face down during an arrest, as Minneapolis officers did to George Floyd.

There's widespread agreement in law enforcement that putting a knee on someone's neck — the move fired police Officer Derek Chauvin used to restrain Floyd — is especially dangerous.

"There hasn't been one person, one police chief, anyone I've talked to, who doesn't see this exactly the same way. The police officer and those who were there that day failed George Floyd," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement-oriented think tank based in Washington. "Every police officer that looked at that video who knows anything about tactics shook their head."

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Derek Chauvin had knee on George Floyd's neck for more than 2 minutes after he became non-responsive: charging documents

State charging documents allege that former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd became non-responsive based on law enforcement review of body-worn camera video.

In total, the complaint says Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and “police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous.”

The medical examiner found no findings that support diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation, the complaint says. Instead, it says that Floyd had coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease and “the combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.”

The complaint says that initially Floyd was not cooperative with getting into the police vehicle and intentionally sat on ground.

Family of George Floyd calls officer's arrest 'a welcome but overdue step'

"The arrest of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the brutal killing of George Floyd is a welcome but overdue step on the road to justice. We expected a first-degree murder charge. We want a first-degree murder charge. And we want to see the other officers arrested," George Floyd's relatives and attorney Ben Crump said in a statement. "We call on authorities to revise the charges to reflect the true culpability of this officer. The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto streets across America."

They added, "While this is a right and necessary step, we need the City of Minneapolis –- and cities across the country –- to fix the policies and training deficiencies that permitted this unlawful killing –- and so many others –- to occur."

Derek Chauvin faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of third-degree murder

Minnesota state law says that a person could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison if convicted of third-degree murder.

The crime is defined as a person not intending to cause the death of a person who does end up causing that death “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.”

In other words, he’s charged with causing Floyd’s death by perpetrating a dangerous act without regard to Floyd’s life –- even if he didn’t set out to do so.

Derek Chauvin charged with murder, manslaughter

Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd's death, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced.

The former Minneapolis police officer was taken into custody Friday.

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Photos: Signs in store windows ask looters to pass them by

A sign in a window in St. Paul, Minn., expresses solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement as it asks to looters to spare the store.
A sign in a store window Friday in St. Paul, Minn., expresses solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement as it asks looters to spare the property.J. Henderson
A sign in a store window in St. Paul, Minn., expresses solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement as it asks to looters to spare the property.
J. Henderson

Klobuchar defends prosecutorial record amid question over 2006 Chauvin incident

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, on Friday defended her record as a former county prosecutor, rejecting accusations that she declined to press charges against the cop who knelt on George Floyd's neck for the killing of a suspect in 2006.

In October 2006, that officer, Derek Chauvin, was involved in the fatal shooting of a stabbing suspect. At the time, Klobuchar was the attorney for Hennepin County, which contains Minneapolis. Klobuchar was elected to the U.S. Senate the next month.

Klobuchar, however, told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Friday that she never declined to prosecute Chauvin. She explained that the investigation into the case began during her tenure but continued into the time during which she’d already been sworn into the Senate and was ultimately handled by her successor. 

“This idea that I somehow declined a case … against this officer is absolutely false. It is a lie. I don't know what else to say about it,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar explained that her successor sent the the case to a grand jury, which ultimately declined in 2008 to charge Chauvin. In a statement Friday, the Hennepin County attorney's office said, "Sen. Klobuchar's last day in the office here was December 31, 2006, and she had no involvement in the prosecution of this case at all."

Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin arrested in George Floyd case

The Minneapolis police officer shown on video putting his knee on the neck of George Floyd has been arrested, according to Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington.

Derek Chauvin, who was fired on Monday along with three other officers involved in the detainment of Floyd, was taken into custody Friday.

Read the full story here.

Several police heads across nation condemn force used before Floyd death

The top brass at several large police departments across the country have decried the use of force seen in the arrest of George Floyd, the black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck during an arrest this week.

Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown said that Floyd's death was "caused by the unacceptable actions of a police officer."

"What took place in Minneapolis earlier this week is absolutely reprehensible and tarnishes the badge nationwide, including here in Chicago," Brown said in a statement.

Read the full story here.

Taylor Swift slams Trump for 'stoking the fires of white supremacy'

Pop star Taylor Swift slammed President Donald Trump for "stoking the fires of white supremacy" Friday after Trump's tweet about shooting protesters in Minneapolis.

"After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?" Swift tweeted, tagging Trump with a promise to vote him out in November. 

The comment is Swift's most overtly political statement to date, as the singer stayed out of partisan politics for most of her career. She was often touted by alt-right conservatives online as the ideal Aryan woman during her political silence. 

That changed in 2018, after the 30-year-old singer came out against the re-election of Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Swift has since made her own views on social issues known through her activism and her music. 

No, Trump has not sent troops to Minnesota

Overnight via Twitter, President Donald Trump seemed to float the idea of sending the military to Minnesota, and then noted Friday morning that members of the Minnesota National Guard were now "on the seen (sic)."

Five-hundred members of the Minnesota National Guard have been activated, but they are under the governor's control, and the president had no role in activating them. The president may activate members of the National Guard, but if a president does so federal law prevents the Guard from performing law enforcement duties.

As of Friday morning, the Defense Department had no request to send active duty, federalized troops to Minnesota, according to four defense officials.

“We have not seen any kind of request for that, period,” said one official.

Mall of America postpones reopening due to 'significant unrest in the community'

Mall of America, which is located near Minneapolis in Bloomington, Minnesota, said Friday that it is delaying its plans to reopen on June 1 due to the “significant unrest in the community.”

The country's largest mall is restricting all access to the building through at least Sunday.

“Our top priority is the safety of our tenants, their employees, and our team members; and restricting access to the building will allow us to do that,” the company told NBC News. “By delaying our reopening date, it will give Mall retailers additional time to prepare.”

Curbside pickup at the mall has also been suspended. The company said it will announce a new reopening date as soon as it is finalized.

Families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor appeal to Congress

The families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor — three black people whose deaths in recent weeks have become flashpoints and set off nationwide protests — are calling for a congressional hearing and national task force for the creation of bipartisan legislation to address excessive force and accountability in policing.

Two high-profile attorneys separately representing the families, Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, told reporters Friday that they also plan to present a case to the United Nation Human Rights Committee to bring about "sweeping changes to our nation's criminal justice system."

The men also said they would like Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, to be an independent prosecutor in the death of Floyd, and are concerned about Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman's handling of the case and his reluctance to immediately bring charges against the four officers at the scene.

Crump added that he plans to have an independent autopsy conducted of Floyd's body. The medical examiner's office said Thursday it was still conducting an investigation into the cause of his death.

"The family does not trust anything coming from the Minneapolis Police Department," Crump said. "How can they?"

'Let my building burn, justice needs to be served'

The owners of Gandhi Mahal, a Minneapolis restaurant that was damaged during overnight protests, released a powerful statement on Facebook.

"We won’t loose hope though, I am so greatful for our neighbors who did their best to stand guard and protect Gandhi Mahal, Youre efforts won’t go unrecognized. Don’t worry about us, we will rebuild and we will recover," wrote Hafsa, the owner's daughter.

"Let my building burn, justice needs to be served,” the owner said, according to the post. "Gandhi Mahal May have felt the flames last night, but our firey drive to help protect and stand with our community will never die! Peace be with everyone."

St. Paul mayor says rage understandable but getting expressed in 'destructive' way

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, whose city next to Minneapolis suffered extensive damage in Thursday night's unrest, said Friday that "rage is understandable" in the wake of George Floyd's death, but it is getting expressed in a "destructive way."

“This  anger, this rage, is understandable. It's inevitable, at some level,” Carter told MSNBC, a day after some stores were looted and many more damaged in St. Paul. “Unfortunately, it's coming out in a way that's really destructive and that's further victimizing the communities that are most in trauma already.”

Carter urged his constituents to take more constructive action: "Take that anger, take that sadness, take that rage that we feel, and let's channel it into a way that's going to help us build a stronger future for our children."

What state charges could be brought in George Floyd's death?

State prosecutors have several options to charge police officers in the State of Minnesota in deadly use of force incidents, like the type of incident that led to the death of George Floyd. 

Prosecutors can bring charges ranging from second-degree manslaughter to first degree murder, with the murder charges being the most difficult to prove in court.

According to a Hennepin County Attorney’s document on these types of cases –- and they are the state prosecutor overseeing this investigation –- the standard for second-degree manslaughter must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the  officer acted with “culpable negligence” in creating an unreasonable risk of death or great bodily harm.” State law says this includes when a person “consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another.”

The Minneapolis Police Department Use of Force Manual does allow what they describe as a “neck restraint.” This restraint is defined “as compressing one or both sides of a person’s neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure  to the trachea or airway (front of the neck).”

But the use of an “unconscious neck restraint,” where they say the goal is to render the person unconscious by applying adequate pressure, only applies “on a subject who is exhibiting active aggression, or  for life saving purposes, or on a subject who is exhibiting active resistance in order to gain control of the subject; and if lesser attempts at control have been or would likely be ineffective.”

More unrest rocks Minneapolis and other cities in wake of George Floyd’s death

'Racist president': Democrats accuse Trump of inciting violence in Minneapolis

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Democrats on Friday slammed President Donald Trump for what they said was inciting violence against protesters who were demonstrating in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody.

Joe Biden, the apparent 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, tweeted, "I will not lift the President's tweet. I will not give him that amplification. But he is calling for violence against American citizens during a moment of pain for so many. I'm furious, and you should be too."

The former vice president said that he planned to speak about the events in Minneapolis later in the day Friday.

Read the full story here.

Where does the phrase 'When the looting starts, the shooting starts' come from?

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Twitter said early Friday that a post by President Donald Trump about the protests overnight in Minneapolis glorified violence because of the historical context of his last line: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts."

The phrase was used by Miami's police chief, Walter Headley, in 1967, when he addressed his department's "crackdown on ... slum hoodlums," according to a United Press International article from the time.

Headley, who was chief of police in Miami for 20 years, said that law enforcement was going after “young hoodlums, from 15 to 21, who have taken advantage of the civil rights campaign. ... We don't mind being accused of police brutality."

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Photos: Fire and fury in Minneapolis

See more photos as protests escalate over the death of George Floyd. 

Activists call for murder charges in George Floyd's death. But they're rare against police.

Public demand for the arrest of the Minneapolis police officer seen kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died later, grew louder Thursday as the city came to grips with violent unrest that prompted Minnesota's governor to activate the National Guard.

Criminal justice and use-of-force experts believe Derek Chauvin, who was fired along with three other officers for their roles in the Memorial Day incident, will more than likely face some type of homicide charge, and black activists and community members said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman must act expeditiously.

"This man was killed in broad daylight while people videotaped him," said Mike Griffin, an activist and electoral organizer for the organization Community Change. "But long before that, there have been systemic racial problems that have harmed the black community and now has mushroomed into this crisis that we're having in this city. Mike Freeman has the power to charge these cops and the power to give us any form of justice."

Read the full story here.