On the second night of violent riots in Minneapolis, rioters stormed a police precinct station, forcing the officers inside to evacuate before the building was burned down, as reported by Fox News.
In the continuation of riots following the death of George Floyd while in police custody, the Third Precinct was assaulted by hundreds of rioters at around 10 P.M. The officers fled to the roof and attempted to disperse the rioters with tear gas and flash bang grenades, but failed to stop the assault. The officers were eventually evacuated from the rooftop by helicopter before the fire began to spread.
The city government of Minneapolis confirmed via Twitter that there were reports of gas lines at the precinct being cut by rioters, most likely in an effort to blow up the building. The announcement urged any and all civilians in the area to stay away from the precinct to avoid a possible explosion.
The Minnesota National Guard confirmed that about 500 troops had been mobilized to Minneapolis and the surrounding areas in an effort to stop the violence. President Donald Trump vowed on Twitter to send in the National Guard if Mayor Jacob Frey (D-Minn.) didn’t “get his act together and bring the city under control.”
Thursday night marked the second consecutive night of violent riots throughout Minneapolis, which some have falsely labeled as “protests” against the death of Floyd. The first night saw numerous businesses burned to the ground, including an AutoZone and a McDonald’s, as well as the mass looting of a Target and other stores. At least one rioter was killed Wednesday night attempting to loot a pawn shop, when the owner shot him in self-defense.
The riots continued and appeared to be even more widespread Thursday, with the fires being visible even from the city of Hudson, Wisconsin, at least 40 miles away.