Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesBy JON HAWORTH and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — The death of George Floyd, a black man who died on Memorial Day after he was pinned down by a white Minnesota police officer, has sparked outrage and protests in Minneapolis and across the United States.
The National Guard has been activated for civil unrest response in Washington, D.C. and 23 states: Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio,, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
In the wake of Floyd’s death, murder and manslaughter charges have been filed against Derek Chauvin, the officer who prosecutors say held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Chauvin and the other three officers at the scene have been fired. The Department of Justice is investigating.
This story is being updated throughout the day Monday. Please check back for updates:
12:17 p.m.: 1 dead from police shooting in Louisville
The Kentucky State Police will independently investigate a deadly shooting that took place overnight at the hands of police, Gov. Andy Beshear said
Around midnight, officers with the Louisville police and the Kentucky National Guard were trying to disperse a crowd when they “were fired upon,” Beshear said.
The local police and National Guard returned fire, “resulting in a death,” Beshear said.
Additional details were not immediately released.
12 p.m.: Nearly 700 arrested in Chicago
Just on Sunday, 699 people were arrested in Chicago, primarily for looting, David Brown, superintendent of the Chicago Police, said Monday.
Brown addressed the rioters and looters directly, saying, “you disgraced the name of Mr. Floyd by your actions.”
“Hate can never drive out hate,” Brown said, and he vowed, “we will hold you accountable.”
Brown also address the late George Floyd directly, saying, “We are embarrassed by the cops in Minneapolis’ use of force, asphyxiating you on the streets.”
“We stand with Mr. Floyd’s family,” he said.
11:38 a.m. Barr sending riot teams to Miami, DC
A senior Department of Justice official says U.S. Attorney General William Barr has directed the Bureau of Prisons to send riot teams (Special Operation Response Teams) to Miami and Washington, D.C. to help with crowd control, a senior DOJ official said.
The team was already present in Miami over the weekend, this official said.
On Sunday night, Barr also dispatched the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team to help D.C. police.
All FBI field offices have been instructed to set up command posts to deal specifically with the protests in nearby communities, the official said.
11:25 a.m.: 2-day curfew ordered in DC
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered a two-day curfew, beginning at 7 p.m. Monday.
Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham warned, if you are not a member of the media or performing an essential function, “local and federal police will take you into custody.”
Police arrested 88 people related to the violent demonstrations Sunday night, Newsham said. Of those, 44 were charged with felony rioting.
Newsham said the city is looking at federal statutes that might be used to prosecute some of those arrested.
Clapper said the additional forces will be unarmed and in a support role to U.S. Park police and that they will be equipped in protective riot gear.
11:12 a.m.: NYC mayor addresses his daughter’s arrest for protesting
More than 250 people were arrested during protests overnight Sunday in New York City, which included significant looting, vandalism and theft of luxury stores in SoHo in the early morning hours of Monday.
Looting is rare for New York City and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday condemned the behavior as “unacceptable.”
The NYPD believes the destruction of property, particularly at high-end retail stores, is part of a preconceived plan by agitators who have co-opted the demonstrations related to Floyd’s death.
“We’re seeing a lot of outside and independent agitators connected with anarchist groups who are deliberately trying to provoke acts of violence,” Deputy Police Commissioner John Miller said on Sunday.
These “agitators” came prepared to commit property damage, Miller said, and directed followers to do so selectively, only in wealthier areas and at high-end stores.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested since protests began in New York City on Thursday.
Of those arrested, about one in seven is from outside the city, the NYPD said. Arrested protesters have come from at least 10 states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Jersey, Nevada, Virginia, Maryland, Texas and Minnesota.
Among the 345 arrested Saturday night was de Blasio’s 25-year-old daughter, Chiara. She was arrested for unlawful assembly and given a desk appearance ticket, according to NYPD sources.
“I love my daughter deeply,” the mayor said Monday. “I’m proud of her that she cares so much.”
“She was acting peacefully. She believes that everything she did was in the spirit of peaceful, respectful protest,” de Blasio said. “I will let her speak for herself … But I admire that she was out there trying to change something that she thought was unjust.”
The NYPD overall “showed restraint” as they worked to keep the peace and allow demonstrators to continue to protest on Sunday, the mayor said.
But De Blasio did condemn what he called the rare act of officers acting inappropriately, bringing up the “troubling video” of two police cars moving through a crowd in Brooklyn Saturday night.
Video showed one police SUV being blocked by a group of protesters behind a barricade as various items and objects can be seen striking the vehicle. Another NYPD SUV then pulled up alongside the first vehicle before both of them can be seen accelerating into the crowd of people knocking many of them over as the screaming and yelling from the crowd began to intensify.
“Not acceptable,” the mayor said, stressing that there’s “no situation where a police vehicle should drive into a crowd of protesters or New Yorkers.”
The incident is under investigation.
De Blasio also called for the officer who pulled a gun on a group of protesters to be fired.
“Any officer who does the wrong thing there needs to be consequences and they need to be fast,” the mayor said.
10:24 a.m.: Minnesota AG ‘seriously looking’ at prosecuting other officers
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on SiriusXM’s “The Joe Madison Show” on Monday that he’s “very seriously looking at” prosecuting the three other officers who were at the scene of Floyd’s death.
“I’m not prepared to announce anything at this moment,” Ellison said, adding, “I will say that we are going to hold everybody accountable for what they did wrong and what they did that’s illegal.”
“We are reviewing the video tapes, the audio tapes, all the evidence, and we will make a charging decision based on the facts that we can prove,” he said.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Sunday that he has asked Ellison to help with the case.
At a Sunday night news conference Ellison said he wanted to give people “a dose of reality.”
“Prosecuting police officers for misconduct is very difficult,” Ellison said. “We are pursing justice relentlessly and we are pursuing it on behalf of the people of Minnesota.”
9:36 a.m.: 481 arrests in Twin Cities over the weekend
In Minnesota’s Twin Cities — the epicenter of the protests — 481 people were arrested over the weekend, state officials said.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter is imploring the public to remain focused on what caused the protests to begin in the first place: the death of George Floyd.
“The situation in our city continues to be an enormous amount of rage and frustration, thankfully we’ve been able to work with many of our community members as we’ve called for peace but not for patience,” Carter said.
Speaking about the violence during the protests, the mayor said that while “anger is really the only human compassionate response … we also know that those of us who are disgusted by injustices against black and brown people in our community cannot exercise that disgust by furthering those injustices.”
Carter said there are clearly people from outside the community that are coming in to join the protests, but the more important thing is how the acts of violence amid the demonstrations is taking the focus away from Floyd’s death.
“George Floyd ought to still be alive. All four of those officers need to be held accountable,” Carter said. “All four of those officers are complicit in his death.”
“We have deep soul searching work to do in our country to make sure this pattern stops,” he added.
9:13 a.m.: Miami-Dade County mayor wants to honor protesters who stopped potential looters
In Miami, video overnight showed a group of protesters shattering the glass door of a CVS as they prepared to loot the store — only to be stopped by a group of peaceful protesters who formed a line to prevent them from entering. Police then arrived and dispersed the crowd.
Monday morning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he wants to meet and commend the protesters who kept the potential looters from breaking in.
“Anyone who can identify the people responsible for keeping the peace as they, themselves, properly exercised their right to assemble and protest, please reach out to the Mayor’s office via social media on the Mayor’s Facebook page Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, or on Twitter @mayorgimenez,” he said in a statement.
7:05 a.m.: St. Paul mayor wants focus to remain on George Floyd
While acknowledging the “anger,” “rage” and “frustration” from protesters, St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor Melvin Carter implored the public to remain focused on what caused the protests to begin in the first place: the death of George Floyd.
“The situation in our city continues to be an enormous amount of rage and frustration, thankfully we’ve been able to work with many of our community members as we’ve called for peace but not for patience,” Carter said.
Speaking about the violence during the protests, the mayor said that while “Anger is really the only human compassionate response … we also know that those of us who are disgusted by injustices against black and brown people in our community cannot exercise that disgust by furthering those injustices.”
Carter said there are clearly people from outside the community that are coming in to join the protests, but the more important thing is how the acts of violence amid the demonstrations is taking the focus away from Floyd’s death.
“George Floyd ought to still be alive. All four of those officers need to be held accountable,” Carter said. “All four of those officers are complicit in his death.”
“We have deep soul searching work to do in our country to make sure this pattern stops,” he added.
6:45 a.m.: Over 250 arrested in NYC protests overnight; St. Patrick’s Cathedral vandalized
More than 250 people were arrested during protests overnight Sunday in New York City, which included significant looting, vandalism and theft of luxury stores in SoHo in the early morning hours, the NYPD said on Monday.
A half dozen police officers were hurt. None of the injuries are considered life threatening.
The NYPD believes the destruction of property, particularly at high-end retail stores, is part of a preconceived plan by agitators who have co-opted the demonstrations related to Floyd’s death.
Destruction of police vehicles is also part of that plan, the NYPD has said.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral was also defaced on Saturday, police said.
Of the more than 1,000 arrested since protests began in New York City on May 28, approximately 1 in 7 is from outside the city, the NYPD said.
“We’re seeing a lot of outside and independent agitators connected with anarchist groups who are deliberately trying to provoke acts of violence,” Deputy Police Commissioner John Miller said on Sunday.
Arrested protesters have come from 10 states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Jersey, Nevada, Virginia, Maryland, Texas and Minnesota
Miller said the NYPD has “high confidence” certain anarchist groups anticipated the eruption of protests over Floyd’s death in custody and began to raise bail money and recruit medics.
“We believe that a significant number of people from out of the area, as well as the advanced preparation, advanced scouts, having resupply routes for gasoline and accelerants, the raising of bail, the placement of medics, taken together is a strong indicator that they planned to act with disorder and violence,” Miller said.
These “agitators” came prepared to commit property damage, Miller said, and directed followers to do so selectively, only in wealthier areas and at high-end stores.
The NYPD is now investigating which individuals and groups have been behind it. Miller said they appear to be only loosely affiliated and skilled at using encrypted communication.
3:01 a.m.: Seven police officers hospitalized in Boston, 40 people arrested
As of 3:00 a.m. this morning, the Boston Police Department has confirmed that seven injured officers have been transported to the hospital with many more treated on scene. A total of 21 police cruisers have been damaged and about 40 individuals placed under arrest during the protest. The situation remains active and the numbers are subject to change, according to the BPD.
2:22 a.m.: Derek Chauvin moved to state prison in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell has confirmed that Derek Chauvin, the officer accused of killing George Floyd, is now in custody at the state prison in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota.
Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchison made the request to move him over concerns about the large number of people who could possibly be booked into Hennepin County Jail tonight and concerns over COVID-19.
Chauvin’s court date has also been pushed back a week to next Monday, June 8 at 2:30 p.m. local time.
1:40 a.m.: In several cities, protesters and police share a hug
Although Sunday’s protests included much of the looting and violence of the previous week’s demonstrations, there were signs throughout the country that relations between protesters and police were warming.
In Orlando, Florida, photos on social media showed two police officers holding hands with protesters through a barricade. A video on Twitter showed a Florida Highway Patrol trooper in Miami detach himself from a security line to offer a hug to a woman sitting on a motor scooter, who said, “I appreciate your patience” after troopers remained calm when protesters approached them.
Elsewhere in Miami, video showed a group of protesters shattering the glass door of a CVS as they prepared to loot the store — only to be stopped by a group of peaceful protesters who formed a line to prevent them from entering until the police arrived and dispersed the crowd.
In New York City’s Foley Square, a cheer went up among protesters when a group of NYPD officers took a knee in a show of solidarity.
In Oklahoma City, cameras also captured sheriff’s deputies taking a knee, with some hugging protesters near the Oklahoma County Jail.
And in Flint, Michigan, video showed Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson telling a crowd of protesters that he’d ordered his deputies to lower their batons and that he wanted to make the event “a parade, not a protest.” The crowd then applauded the sheriff and invited him to join the march.
1:12 a.m.: Entire Washington, D.C. National Guard now activated
The entire Washington, D.C. National Guard has been activated by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to assist U.S. Park Police in the city, says Master Sergeant Craig Clapper, a spokesman for the DC National Guard.
Clapper says the additional forces will be unarmed and in a support role to U.S. Park police and that they will be equipped in protective riot gear.
Last night, elements of the D.C. National Guard were sent to Lafayette Park in front of the White House and to other landmarks on the National Mall.
The Army Secretary is in charge of the D.C. National Guard because it is the nation’s only federalized National Guard since it is not run by a state governor due to the fact that the district is not a state.
Clapper would not disclose the number of additional guardsmen that would be activated.
The size of the entire D.C. National Guard is 3,400 personnel.
12:41 a.m.: Clashes continue in some cities, while others are more calm
Arrests during Sunday’s protests have driven the total number of demonstrator arrests to more than 4,000 since protests began early in the week, according to reports.
Confrontations between police and protesters continued for another night in Brooklyn, New York, where demonstrators clashed with officers outside Barclay’s Center.
In Boston, an SUV drove through a crowd of protesters but officials said no one appeared to be seriously hurt.
In Washington, D.C., members of the U.S. Marshals Service and DEA agents were called in to assist National Guard troops responding to protests near the White House, a Department of Justice official said.
In Atlanta, two police officers were fired for using excessive force during an arrest of two college students during Saturday night’s protests. Video of the incident appeared to show officers Tase the two students as they sat in their vehicle, and then forcefully drag them out of the car.
Protests in other cities, however, remained largely peaceful Sunday. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said protesters were “largely cooperative” in his state. Large crowds surrounded the State Capitol in Denver but stayed calm, according to reports.
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