More than 500 arrested, 5 officers hurt amid clashes in downtown Los Angeles over George Floyd death
Tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets were deployed during confrontations between officers and the protesters.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- More than 500 people were arrested and five police officers were hurt overnight Friday amid violent protests over the death of George Floyd.
Los Angeles was one of several cities across the U.S. where demonstrators again took to the streets to express outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Following the violent protests, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a curfew for Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles. The curfew was in place from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., the mayor said.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, 500 people were taken into custody on suspicion of unlawful assembly, six for looting and four for miscellaneous crimes.
Five LAPD officers were injured in confrontations between police and protesters, officials said. One suffered a broken hand, another a head injury. Both of those officers are expected to recover. The specific injuries sustained by the other three were not immediately known.
Derek Chauvin, police officer accused in George Floyd's death, charged with 3rd-degree murder
"It's unsafe. It's an unlawful assembly," LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in an impromptu interview Friday evening, standing not far from where the unrest was taking place. "It's dangerous for all the residents and others. So it's unfortunate. It's a dark day in our history, that we have to do this, but this is what's going to save lives and this is going to save property."
In Minneapolis, the new round of unrest came despite Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vowing Friday to show a more forceful response than city leaders had the day before. But by early Saturday morning, Walz said he didn't have enough troops, even with some 500 National Guardsmen.
The Pentagon on Saturday ordered the Army to put military police units on alert to head to the city on short notice at President Donald Trump's request, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders who did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations. The rare step came as the violence spread to other cities: A man shot dead in Detroit, police cars battered in Atlanta and skirmishes with police in New York City.
