Last Updated on February 17, 2022
The situation in the Minneapolis area has continued to deteriorate since riots began late Sunday afternoon. Multiple videos of rioting, looting, and general mayhem have spread across social media, sparked by a police officer shooting a man after he was discovered to be subject to an arrest warrant during a traffic stop, and then attempted to flee police.
Several area businesses in Minneapolis and nearby Brooklyn Center were trashed and looted after the police shooting left a man wanted for arrest dead and his female passenger in the hospital due to wounds sustained in the brief car chase. Stores looted included a Walmart, CVS, Footlocker, Little Caesars and what appear to be several local businesses.
A beauty store on W. Broadway looted moments ago in north Minneapolis https://t.co/zZS8f4a4ss
— MN CRIME | Police/Fire/EMS (@MN_CRIME) April 12, 2021
Wal-Mart is targeted by rioters in Minneapolis after just today meeting with 100 corporate executives discussing how to deal with changing election laws
This is one of many wal-marts destroyed by far left extremist groups such as BLM over the last year https://t.co/TuzhzEghNq
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) April 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1381464047321767941
Minneapolis rioters earlier seen waving BLM flags, a known Democrat extremist group who helped elect President Joe Biden
Smash windows of a business to steal Nike shoes in solidarity with the the movement to end police brutality against young black men https://t.co/Lo60yp7mHC
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) April 12, 2021
Looting in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/UvfLGfzOyq
— Steve Oatley (@steveoatley) April 12, 2021
Minneapolis @cvspharmacy is now being targeted and looted by rioters https://t.co/uzrlQhN55S
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) April 12, 2021
After several hours of sustained violence, police officially acknowledged the riot and began employing crowd control measures including tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the throngs of rioters.
BREAKING: Flash bangs and tear gas have been deployed in Minneapolis https://t.co/xOtZ3bS5fs
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) April 12, 2021
More flash bangs accompanied by heavy deployment of tear gas outside of Brooklyn Center police station, as cops disperse crowds protesting the racist killing of #DaunteWright earlier today in the Minneapolis suburb. pic.twitter.com/k7SD5cesji
— Vitalist International (@VitalistInt) April 12, 2021
Stand off over another police shooting of a black man in Minnesota, north of Minneapolis – just broken up now with tear gas pic.twitter.com/yHS4UWFyNk
— Barbara Plett Usher (@BBCBarbaraPlett) April 12, 2021
Police busting looters in Minneapolis as we speak, unrest underway, unlawful assembly declared https://t.co/advaf7HDSA
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) April 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1381447439639576577
On the shooting, National File reported:
Police have now released a statement describing what led to the officer involved shooting. A man with an outstanding warrant was apparently in the process of fleeing from police after a routine traffic stop when he was shot.
“Brooklyn Center Police Department officers initiated a stop for a traffic violation,” the police wrote in a press release. “Officers determined that the driver of the vehicle had an outstanding warrant. At one point as officers were attempting to take the driver into custody, the driver re-entered the vehicle.”
“One officer discharged their firearm, striking the driver.” Though injured, the suspect apparently continued to flee, causing damage to another nearby vehicle.
“The vehicle traveled several blocks before striking another vehicle,” the police press release explains. “Officers in pursuit and responding medical personnel attempted life saving measures, but the person died at the scene.”
Another vehicle was damaged during the brief pursuit, as police say the now-deceased man wrecked his vehicle into an innocent bystander, ostensibly after being shot by an officer.
