Law enforcers quickly moved into Brooklyn City Center on the sixth night of protests after issuing a distribution order. (FOX 9)
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Brooklyn Center issued an emergency bell rule Friday after riots escalated, prompting police to disperse a crowd outside the Brooklyn Police Department.
John Harrington, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, estimates about 100 people have been arrested.
Distribution order issued after protesters crossed the fence on the 6th night of protests
Law enforcers issued a distribution order after protesters broke through the fence outside the Brooklyn Center’s police station on the sixth night of protests after the shooting of Daunte Wright.
Wright, 20, was shot dead by a Brooklyn downtown police officer during a stop on Sunday. The officer resigned and was charged with second-degree manslaughter. The shooting caused protests throughout the week.
The city initially did not plan a curfew for the first time this week for the first time, the mayor said in a statement. But around 10:30 p.m., Operation Safety Net announced that the mayor had declared an emergency bell that would begin Friday at 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The evening bell followed unrest outside the police department. Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Friday, protesters violated the secondary barrier around Brooklyn Center’s police department. In response, law enforcement officers used lightning bolts and pepper spray to repel the crowd. Officials repaired the fence. Protesters continued to throw objects, such as glass bottles, over the barriers.
At 9:50 p.m., law enforcement officers issued a distribution order declaring the protest an illegal assembly, and the crowd began to retreat. A reporter at the scene saw at least one use of tear gas. The crowd thinned quickly following the order. A convoy of police vehicles soon filled the street where protesters had been minutes before.
No curfew rule for Brooklyn Center as Daunte Wright’s shootings continue
There is no curfew in Brooklyn City Center as protests continue for a sixth consecutive night after the deadly shooting on Daunte Wright.
Earlier in the evening, law enforcement seemed to be following the same more relaxed approach as the previous evening. Officers stood further away from the barricades, creating more distance between them and the protesters.
Col. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol expressed frustration that the same strategy was not as effective Friday night. According to authorities, a small group of bats was among the stirrers.
At an overnight press conference, law enforcement officers laid out items, including cans, umbrellas, paint cans and wooden screens, brought into protest by protesters.
“If we want a change in policing, we want reform in policing. Let’s do it. Let’s get together and start reforming,” Hennepin County David Hutchinson said. “This profession needs help. We can acknowledge it. We are not perfect. We can be better. But these people are not people you have to support.”
The 10K Foundation, a social justice group founded after the death of George Floyd, was among the groups that organized the rally on Friday night. Other community leaders urged protesters to put on a bathrobe to show support for a nearby resident who was arrested during the protests while wearing her bathrobe.
While some of the rallies this week were peaceful, the protests sometimes turned violent, leading to clashes with law enforcement and also looting of shops. Officers used chemical irritants and flashlights on protesters.
In a letter, Sheriff Hutchinson called on the City of Brooklyn Center to create “significant confusion” over the response to mutual aid amid the ongoing unrest. The city council has passed a resolution banning the use of a number of control tactics, such as tear gas, which the mayor supports. However, the sheriff says the resolution does not apply to the joint law enforcement operation responding to the protests.
Reggie Edwards, acting city manager of the Brooklyn Center, announced Thursday night that the city will contract with an organization to provide community stakeholders to help disperse tensions at the rallies.