Minneapolis Police Precinct On Fire, Vandalism At Its Peak After Death of George Floyd

It has been a week of horror and angst in Minneapolis, soon after the news of the death of George Floyd surfaced -- as a result of police brutality. It was certain that the furious mob was desperately on the lookout for answers and had their sights set on the Police Department's 3rd Precinct. This is where Floyd breathed his last while in their custody -- only to set the police precinct ablaze.

As per recent reports, a fire had mysteriously broken out in the interior of the stations on Thursday, which was eventually evacuated at 10 p.m. The blazes reportedly burned in the surrounding areas of the precinct, too.

Department officials alleged that demonstrators barged into the premises, tore down the temporary fencing, and ignited several fires. Despite the mishaps, no injuries have been reported so far.

What started out as a peaceful protest escalated pretty fast, catapulting into a night of fatal shooting, widespread looting, fires and the police deployment of tear gas. In a bid to bring in some control, the Minnesota guard informed 500 soldiers were deployed in the Twin Cities.

"Our mission is to protect life, preserve property and the right to peacefully demonstrate,” read the tweet. An executive order was ordered by Gov. Tim Walz signed to get started with the process. A statement from the governor's office maintained that this was a much-needed move after “extensive damage to private property occurred and peaceful protests evolved into a dangerous situation for protesters and first responders.”

Urging people to place faith in the system, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter urged people to stop flocking to the streets. The statement released on late Thursday afternoon read: “Please stay home. Please do not come here to protest. Please keep the focus on George Floyd, on advancing our movement, and on preventing this from ever happening again. We can all be in that fight together.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo demanded peace amid chaos. “We must restore the peace so we can do this hard work together," Frey said, while Jenkins enthused that while the anger over George Floyd’s death is justified, protestors must act ethically and they have no right to “perpetuate violence and harm on the very communities that you say you are standing up for.”

The outburst has resulted in further losses -- damages by vandalism, looting, and the like -- for about 170 businesses as reported by St Paul’s Police. While the further probe is underway, National Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes said Thursday that rest assured, justice will be serviced in Floyd's case to reinstall the people’s faith in the Minneapolis Judiciary and Police system.