Looting and rioting broke out in Minneapolis on Friday night in response to police shooting and killing a wanted felon who they say fired a gun at them.
Videos circulating on social media Friday night showed protesters marching in the streets, fires being set, and vandalism and looting occurring, resulting in the police arresting at least nine people, according to the Associated Press.
“Thick smoke in the air as dumpsters burned at Hennepin & Lake Street in Minneapolis this Friday night,” independent video journalist Brendan Gutenschwager tweeted along with a video showing fires in the streets.
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Photojournalist Rebecca Brannon posted videos of more fires and also took footage that showed a T-Mobile store being looted by rioters.
Trees being set on fire tonight in Minneapolis along with other fires. https://t.co/L09YrZMolp
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) June 5, 2021
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
Brannon also posted a video suggesting that an unidentified person had been shot during the riot.
Someone was shot tonight on East Lake Street over by the old 3rd precinct…#Minneapolishttps://t.co/M45sAC9Cjd
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) June 5, 2021
The unrest stemmed from a shooting the previous day, when 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith, a wanted felon, was shot and killed by police as they tried to arrest him.
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Police officials say that a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force tried to arrest Smith on a warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm when he refused to comply with orders and fired at police with a handgun from inside his car. Smith, who was convicted of beating and robbing his ex-girlfriend in 2017, was then shot and killed by the officers.
Protests and riots also broke out on Thursday night in Minneapolis, and videos on social media showed rioters lighting dumpsters on fire and barricading the street.
Minneapolis is the same location where George Floyd was killed while being arrested by the police, sparking protests and riots across the country for months.
