POLICE STATION TORCHED IN US
MINNEAPOLIS: Flames ripped through a Minnesota police station and seven protesters were shot in Kentucky as unrest spread across the US over the deaths of black people during police encounters.
Officers abandoned the building in the city of Minneapolis late on Thursday before demonstrators barged through barriers, breaking windows and chanting slogans. A fire broke out, which soon became an inferno that engulfed the structure.
The protests entered their fourth day on Friday and have spread beyond Minnesota, with protests breaking out in several states across the country, including Denver, Colorado and Phoenix.
In Kentucky, seven people were hit by gunfire at a protest on Thursday over the death of Breonna Taylor - a black woman who was shot after police entered her home in March, local media reported. One of those wounded was in a critical condition, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. It is not yet clear who fired the shots.
Police responded with a Twitter post asking the city to “please choose peace,” alongside a video message from a family member of the woman killed. She asked those in the streets to “go home and be safe and be ready to keep fighting.”
Thousands joined the protests in Minnesota, which were triggered by the Monday death of 46-year-old George Floyd after being arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit banknote.
A video taken by a bystander showed an officer kneeling on his neck as he is pinned to the ground. Floyd is heard saying he cannot breathe.
As unrest spread, President Trump tweeted: “These THUGS are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd and I won’t let that happen,” in apparent reference to protesters in Minnesota, adding the state’s governor has the backing of the military.
The Minnesota State Patrol on Friday arrested a CNN television crew as they reported on the violent protests. Atlanta-based CNN said that the crew, which included CNN reporter Omar Jimenez, was released later .
While live on air, Jimenez was handcuffed and led away.
A producer and a photojournalist for CNN were also led away in handcuffs.