MINNEAPOLIS — A group of anti-police protesters attacked Minneapolis cops following an officer-involved shooting Wednesday night. Officers reportedly encountered an armed man who fired at them first, Minneapolis police officials said.
A tweet by Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter Kim Hyatt revealed that police came under attack from a group of protesters. The group of more than 100 antagonizers reportedly threw bricks and ice balls at the officers. Their assaults followed the OIS that left a felony suspect dead.
Officer over dispatch say there are more than 100 people and crowd is growing. Bricks thrown. One squad surrounded. Someone detained at 35th and Cedar. Another officer asked for permission to use 40 mm launcher because “they are starting to throw ice balls at us.”
— Kim Hyatt (@kimvhyatt) December 31, 2020
Officers requested permission to us the 40mm launcher, but the request was denied.
Launchers are not authorized to be used on crowd, only used "to stop imminent physical harm to officers," per dispatch.
— Kim Hyatt (@kimvhyatt) December 31, 2020
Star-Tribune reporter Alex Chhith tweeted a video showing a large crowd screaming at police and calling them murderers. “Abolish the police,” a woman yelled on a bull horn. “You f**king murderers.”
Out here at what sounds like an officer involved shooting at Cedar and 36th street. There were chants to abolish the police. Lots of people out checking out the scene. I’d say there’s around 60-70 ppl pic.twitter.com/YMp0C4pKVM
— Alex Chhith (@AlexChhith) December 31, 2020
Chief Medaria Arradondo said the officers wore body cams and he would try to release the videos on Thursday. He pleaded with protesters to remain peaceful, Breitbart reported.
During the press conference, Chief Arradondo said:
“As chief, I recognize the trauma that our city has been under, and we want to do everything we can to maintain the peace. Our city has gone through too much. We need to keep our officers safe, we need to keep our community safe, and I tell you, we need to preserve that crime scene so that the facts can continue to come out as it relates to that.”
The officers involved in the shooting are said to be part of the Community Response Team that focuses on high-crime areas.
Protesters grew more militant as the evening wore on. “Just had a snowball thrown at us. … This crowd is extremely close and hostile towards police. … If they choose to storm past us, we do not have the resources to hold this crowd back,” the local newspaper said, quoting police dispatch radio traffic.
The chanting now has some beat to it. This crowd has definitely growing mostly with curious neighbors pic.twitter.com/ckB1pKWdfP
— Alex Chhith (@AlexChhith) December 31, 2020
Now protestors are nearly toe to toe with police pic.twitter.com/PU2IsuM2IW
— Alex Chhith (@AlexChhith) December 31, 2020
Protesters have built a fire to warm themselves at the center of the intersection. It’s reminiscent of the 4th precinct occupation following the death of Jamar Clark in 2015. pic.twitter.com/zyWIOOV4b0
— Liz Sawyer (@ByLizSawyer) December 31, 2020
A father Thursday identified as his son the man who was shot and killed by police Wednesday after they say he fired first outside a gas station, Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.
Bayle Gelle, of Eden Prairie, arrived at the gas station Thursday morning with several supporters and identified his 22-year-old son, Dolal Idd, as the man shot following a stop for a felony warrant at the Holiday at E. 36th Street and S. Cedar Avenue in south Minneapolis.
Gelle said several officers arrived at his home Wednesday after his son was killed, said they had a search warrant and detained the residents.
Gelle did not elaborate on why police searched the home, but simply commented about “police brutality.”
Idd’s death was the first involving MPD officers since George Floyd on May 25, according to the Star-Tribune.
Chief Arradondo said witnesses reported that the suspect fired first, and that “police officers then exchanged gunfire with the suspect,” during the attempted detention of the felony perpetrator.
A woman also in the car was not hurt, according to the report.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is conducting the investigation.
Chief Arradondo said his officers would respect protesters’ constitutionally protected right to freedom of speech but that “we cannot allow for destructive criminal behavior.”
