LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Images showed a Louisville restaurant patron pointing a handgun at armed Black Lives Matter protesters who swarmed the outdoor dining patio during demonstrations in honor of Breonna Taylor on the day of the Kentucky Derby.
Louisville Metro Police on Saturday evening responded to La Chasse, an upscale European restaurant located in the 1300 block of Bardstown Road, as protesters were marching northbound on the street. A restaurant employee told dispatchers “that multiple armed protesters entered the restaurant property, which included outdoor dining space,” police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley told Fox News.
A reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal tweeted several photos and videos of the incident. A man was seen pointing a small handgun at several demonstrators during the confrontation. Moreover, several protesters also appeared to be carrying firearms. Video shared by the newspaper showed a female demonstrator directing others to move away down the block, and tensions at the restaurant appeared to dissipate.
For those who have asked, yes this man appeared to be armed, as were a few protesters. It was a tense few minutes. #Louisville pic.twitter.com/BAw7r99KMf
— Hayes Gardner (@HayesGardner) May 2, 2021
“During the encounter both patrons and protesters brandished firearms,” Smiley said in an email to Fox News. “This incident occurred after the arrests of southbound protesters in the area on the 1500 block of Bardstown Road. The arrests of that group were made after protesters repeatedly blocked the roadway despite officers giving multiple verbal requests for them to utilize the sidewalk.”
Protesters marched outside Churchill Downs ahead of the 147th Kentucky Derby in Louisville Saturday.
Louisville Metro Police Department shared a livestream on Facebook of their protest response. Video showed protesters surrounding and shouting profanities at officers making an arrest. At least one individual was seen waving a Black Lives Matter banner. A female voice narrating the video said officers were surrounded while making an arrest on a woman who refused to stand and walk on her own.
At least five protest-related arrests were made Saturday.
Records shared with Fox News said individuals arrested had ignored several announcements to disperse from the roadway and remain on the sidewalk. Police said the activity in the street brought alarm to several businesses.
One woman gave officers a short foot chase down the block after fleeing officers who tried to detain her. A man was charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and first-degree wanton endangerment of an officer. He was arrested after an officer reportedly spotted open alcohol containers and a loaded handgun in the front seat of his vehicle.
