Sunday, July 10, 2016
HEY DAYTON--are you happy NOW???
Mayor Chris Coleman and St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell held a news conference regarding overnight protests Sunday morning.
"This has been a very, very long evening and early morning for the city of St. Paul," said Coleman. "Unfortunately last night, some of the individuals who gathered at the Governor's residence, decided to go from peaceful protest and exercise of the First Amendment rights, to rioting."
There were 21 St. Paul police officers who were injured in the overnight protests.
Chief Axtell spoke following Mayor Coleman.
"Last night, really was the first time in my 28 years as a police officer, that I had observed the level of violence that was directed towards public servants," said Axtell. "It's really a disgrace. Protesters last night turned into criminals. I'm absolutely disgusted by the actions of some. We will not tolerate it."
Meanwhile, six Minnesota State Patrol troopers were injured during the incident.
"Those troopers and officers went right into harm's way and it was very difficult to watch and make decisions to put them in harm's way knowing they were being pelted, assaulted and thrown (at) with rocks, rebar and otehr items," said Minnesota State Patrol Col. Matt Langer.
A total of 102 people were arrested during a protest that shut down parts of Interstate 94 in St. Paul Saturday night in response to the shooting death of Philando Castile.
Crews cleaned debris off the road as crowds started leaving I-94 after over four hours of protesting and headed toward the governor's residence, where the protest originally began Saturday afternoon.
Around 9 p.m. Saint Paul Police Department officers negotiated with protesters to make "symbolic arrests." The protest remained peaceful until about 9:30 p.m. At one point as the protest turned violent, children were removed from I-94 for safety measures.
Protesters began throwing objects, including fireworks, rebar, bricks and a molotov cocktail at officers, according to the St. Paul Police Department. There were 21 police officers injured from thrown objects, including a hit to the head from a 25 pound item.
St. Paul Police Department officers started using glass balls with smoke and marking rounds on aggressors. Protesters later covered their noses and mouths after a different form of gas was released.
Police officers warned protesters it was an unlawful assembly and crowd and would be arrested if they did not disperse.
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This world has gone crazy. We can't sit by and let evil win.
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