Reporters chastised a Minnesota police chief on Monday when he accurately used the word “riot” to describe the violence and looting that erupted after a police officer shot and killed a black man who resisted arrest.
During a press conference, Police Chief Tim Gannon of Brooklyn Center was asked why his department issued a dispersal order Sunday night while Black Lives Matter rioters were “peacefully protesting in front of the police station.”
“Just so everybody is clear, I was front and center at the protest—at the riot,” Gannon told reporters.
“There was no riot,” a reporter can be heard objecting.
“Don’t do that,” a female voice piped in as other reporters joined in to deny that there was a riot.
Refusing to back down, Gannon went on to describe how officers responded to the Black Lives Matter violence.
“There was—the officers that were putting themselves in harm’s way were being pelted with frozen cans of pop, they were being pelted with concrete blocks,” he said.
“Yes, we had our helmets on. We had other protection gear. But an officer was injured, hit in the head with a brick … he was transported to the hospital. So, we had to make decisions, we had to disperse the crowd because we can’t allow our officers to be harmed.”
CHIEF GANNON: "I was front and center at the protest, at the riot."
QUESTIONERS: "Don't do that… There was no riot."
CHIEF GANNON: "There was… The officers were being pelted with frozen cans of pop, pelted with concrete blocks… an officer was hit in the head with a brick" pic.twitter.com/MxjPoQqMiE
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 12, 2021
Here are some scenes from the “peaceful protest,” as posted by independent journalist Andy Ngo:
Brooklyn Center, Minn.: BLM rioter who was about to throw a large chunk of concrete at police was hit with an impact munition. He falls to the ground in pain. #Minneapolis https://t.co/Yj0ZkS3rkF
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
BLM looters break inside & steal from an O’Reilly’s auto store overnight in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Auto stores were infamously looted & burnt to the ground last year in Minneapolis. #DaunteWright https://t.co/nEHyR1Ck0x
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
A Sally Beauty Supply store was smashed into and looted during the #BLM unrest & violence overnight in Brooklyn Center, Minn. #DuanteWright https://t.co/2u9vyd2B9F
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
A liquor store in Brooklyn Center, Minn. was destroyed by BLM looters overnight. #Minneapolis https://t.co/fc1xwLT4LU
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
A group of women sing and dance outside of stores that were looted by #BLM rioters in Brooklyn Center, Minn. #DuanteWright #Minneapolis https://t.co/bcUKGuXyr0
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
There don’t appear to have been any arrests.
The Black Lives Matter looters and rioters took to the streets of the Minneapolis suburb after Daunte Wright, 20 was accidentally shot during a traffic stop.
Latest #BLM violence near Minneapolis sparked by police shooting of #DaunteWright. He was wanted on a warrant when he attempted to flee by car. He was shot & drove a distance before crashing into others. His FB is filled w/him flashing gang signs, using drugs & showing off cash. pic.twitter.com/StANTcJ2bs
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) April 12, 2021
Wright was stopped Sunday afternoon for expired tags, although the Blue Anon media made much of the fact that he was also cited for the illegal air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror.
Police said on Monday that Wright was initially stopped for expired registration tags and the officer then saw something hanging illegally from a rearview mirror.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, drivers are not allowed to hang air fresheners or anything else from the rearview mirror because it could block the driver’s view.
“Minnesota law prohibits any objects suspended between the driver and the windshield other than: sun visors, rearview mirrors, global positioning systems or navigation systems when mounted or located near the bottommost portion of the windshield; and electronic toll collection devices,” Minnesota State Patrol Sergeant Jesse Grabow wrote in the Crookston Times.
Then officers determined that he had an outstanding warrant for missing a Zoom court hearing in a case stemming from charges last June when he reportedly fled officers and was in possession of a gun without a permit.
Wright resisted as officers attempted to take him into custody, and managed to re-enter his vehicle while officers struggled to control the situation. One officer discharged her firearm, apparently thinking it was her taser. “The vehicle traveled several blocks before striking another vehicle,” police said in the press release.
Officers and first responders “attempted life-saving measures…but the person died at the scene,” police said.
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