WAS, AND THIS WAS MAINLY
AMONGST FRIENDS AND FAMILY,
THEY GATHERED AND CAME TOGETHER
AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE ALL
THEY TOLD ME, BUT THEY'RE
FORTIFIED AND THEY HAVE
WEAPONS, AND THEY WILL NOT BE
OVERTAKEN.
THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN WAS NOT
THE LOOTING.
IT WAS THAT THEY'RE AN EASY
TARGET FOR ARSON.
THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT ARSON,
SO THEY GOT THE BAND TOGETHER
OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND
WHOEVER ELSE WANTED TO DEFEND,
AND THEY'RE SITTING ON ROPES,
THEY'RE SITTING IN CARS IN
FRONT OF BUILDINGS.
THEY'RE JUST SETTING IN LAWN
CHAIRS AND WHATNOT.
WE'VE SEEN THIS TIME AND TIME
AGAIN IN FRONT OF THEIR VARIOUS
BUSINESSES.
YOU CAN SEE HOW QUIET AND EERIE
IT IS OUT HERE ON THE STREETS
OF SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.
IN GENERAL, WE FOUND THAT
EITHER THERE'S A HUGE CROWD IN
A PROTEST OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT, OR THERE'S NOTHING GOING
ON.
YOU'RE EITHER IN THE MIDDLE OF
IT, THE APEX OF IT, OR YOU'RE
LEFT ALONE.
BOTH ARE UNSETTLING.
WHEN NO ONE IS AROUND, YOU FEEL
THE EERIENESS, AND WHEN A LOT
OF PEOPLE ARE AROUND YOU'RE NOT
SURE WHO THE GOOD GUYS ARE OR
THE BAD GUYS.
IT'S EITHER A MASS CROWD OR
MOVEMENT OR NO ONE.
HERE IT'S QUIET AND DARK AND
JUST STRANGE.
SO MANY PEOPLE SAW YOU A
COUPLE OF HOURS AGO WHEN THE
MAN WAS TRYING TO COVER UP THE
CAMERA.
WHAT WAS GOING ON?
REPORTER: WE WERE STUCK IN A
PLACE WHERE WE COULDN'T GET OUT
FOR AWHILE BECAUSE BETWEEN US
AND THE CAR WAS A LINE OF
POLICE AND THEN THE MAN THAT
ASSAULTED OUR PHOTOGRAPHER WITH
A CROWBAR OR CANE, SO WE
COULDN'T WALK THAT WAY.
SO WE SAT WITH THE FOLKS FROM
THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE
VERY ENGAGING AND ENDEARING
PEOPLE.
A COUPLE AGREED TO INTERVIEW
US, AND A PERSON OFF CAMERA WHO
I THINK HAD BEEN DRINKING
DECIDED THEY WOULD GET IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE LIVE SHOT AS SOON
AS WE STARTED, AND THE
SURPRISING PART WAS THAT HE HAD
BEEN PRETTY AFFABLE TO THAT
POINT AND TALKED TO ME ABOUT
WHAT A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER
HE WAS, AND SUDDENLY WHEN WE
TURNED THE CAMERA ON TO DO THE
INTERVIEW, HE DECIDED TO JUMP
IN AND THEN A LOT OF THE STUFF
HE WAS SAYING WAS INCOHERENT,
BUT WE SHUT IT DOWN, TALKED HIM
DOWN, CALMED HIM DOWN AND
EXPLAINED WE WEREN'T A THREAT
TO HIM OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND
THEN WE MOVED ON OUR WAY FROM
THERE.
BUT I KNOW IT LOOKED WORSE THAN
IT WAS.
WE HAD CONTROL OF THE
SITUATION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
CONCERNED.
THEY WERE TWEETING WANTING TO
KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IF
YOU WERE OKAY.
DON SHELBY OUR COLLEAGUE
E-MAILED ME AND WANTED TO KNOW
THE INFORMATION.
VERY CONCERNED.
I'M GLAD EVERYTHING WAS OKAY.
YOU MUST OWE HIM MONEY.
REPORTER: YEAH!
[ LAUGHTER ]
WE NEEDED THAT TONIGHT, FRANK,
THANK YOU.
BUT SEE, THOSE ARE PEOPLE
SITTING IN FRONT OF THEIR
FAMILY TACO STAND, AND THEY'LL
SIT THERE ALL NIGHT.
WE'RE AN LAKE STREET RIGHT NOW.
THOSE NOT NOT THE BAD GUYS.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE TAKING CARE OF
THEIR OWN AND TAKING CARE OF
THEIR BUSINESS.
OBVIOUSLY WE LOOK SUSPICIOUS
WHEN WE SLOW DOWN, BUT ALL THEY
WANT TO DO IS ENSURE THEY
PRESERVE WHAT'S THEIRS.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE WORKED
THEIR ENTIRE LIVES TO OWN A
BUSINESS LIKE THIS AND THEY'VE
BECOME STRATEGIC ABOUT IT
TONIGHT.
THEY KNOW THEY COULD BE THE
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE, AND THEY
WON'T LET IT GO.
I THINK JUST THEM SHOWING UP
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
STANDING IN FRONT OF THE
BUILDINGS HAS BEEN NOT ONLY
IMPRESSIVE AND INSPIRING, BUT
SENT A STRONG MESSAGE TO
ANYBODY WHO MIGHT THINK THEY
CAN RAISE CANE OR DO SOMETHING
WITH THEM.
THIS IS ORGANIZED TODAY.
THEY'RE SITTING IN FRONT OF
TIME BOMB VINTAGE, AND THEY'LL
PROTECT IT ALL NIGHT UNTIL THEY
FEEL SAFE.
THAT'S A THAT'S JUST KIND OF
EVOLVED ORGANICALLY, AND WE'RE
SEEING IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
YOU CAN SEE, THEY HAVE THE
REFLECTIVE GEAR.
THIS IS THE LONG FELLOW MARKET.
YOU CAN SEE THE WINDOWS OPEN,
AND THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THEY KEEP PEACE AND PRESERVE
THE BUSINESS THEY HAVE.
SO IT'S BEEN THE STORY OF THE
NIGHT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED
AND HEROIC ON THE WAY THESE
PEOPLE HAVE COME TOGETHER A LOT
OF THEM ARE NOT NECESSARILY
OWNERS OF THE BUSINESS.
THEY'RE SAYING WE'RE ALL IN
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN THIS
TOGETHER.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE MAKING
SURE THE BAD STUFF DOESN'T
HAPPEN.
THERE WAS A GUY THERE STANDING
WITH A 12 GAUGE SHOT GUN.
THE WHOLE POINT, THERE'S
ANOTHER GUY WE JUST DROVE BY
WITH A RIFLE.
THEY'RE NOT HERE LOOKING FOR
SOMEBODY.
THEY'RE HERE TO DEFEND THEIR
PROPERTY AND EVERYTHING THEY
OWN.
TO ME IS STORY OF THE NIGHT IS
HOW WELL THEY'VE SHOWED UP AND
HOW UNIFIED THEY ARE, AND THIS
IS GOING ON, THEY'RE ON THE
SOUTHSIDE IN LAKE STREET.
THIS IS ON THE NORTH SIDE IN
JUST AS BIG A WAY I KNOW AS
WELL.
YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE KIND OF
HEAVY PART OF IT, MAXY.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING WCCO THE
LAST TWO NIGHTS, YOU'VE SEEN US
INTERVIEW THE CHIEF AND
ASSISTANT CHIEF, AND ON BOTH
NIGHTS THEY'RE LIKE WE DON'T
KNOW IF WE CAN GET TO YOUR
FIRE, IT'S NOT SAFE TO GET TO
YOUR FIRE.
SO WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP TO
PRESERVE YOUR BUSINESS?
YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT ON
YOURSELF.
REPORTER: YEAH, AND IF YOU
TOLD ME YOU CAN'T HELP ME, I
GET IT.
BUT GUESS WHAT, THAT DOESN'T
MEAN I'M NOT GOING TO HELP
MYSELF.
AND THAT GETS ME TO THE
OTHER POINT.
THE OTHER HEAVY THING ABOUT
THIS IS THAT ON TUESDAY NIGHT,
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WE SEE A GUY
ON LAKE CLOSE TO THE 3rd
PRECINCT WHO'S ARRESTED FOR
SHOOTING AND KILLING SOMEONE
BECAUSE THEY BROKE INTO HIS
STORE.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY MURDER THAT
WE'VE HAD, DEATH THAT WE'VE HAD
FOLLOWING IN THE LAST 5 DAYS
AND IT WAS THE OWNER OF A
BUSINESS THAT SHOT AND KILLED A
GUY HE SAID WAS COMING INTO THE
BUSINESS.
MY POINT IS THIS PEOPLE OUT
HERE TONIGHT KNOW THE RISK.
WE JUST SAW THE GUY WITH THE
SHOT GUN AND RIFLE, AND THEY'RE
AT THE POINT IN THEIR LIFE
WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE
RISK.
REPORTER: THAT'S EXACTLY
WHERE THEY'RE AT.
YOU TALKED TO ONE SPECIFICALLY
TODAY AND SAID ARE YOU SURE YOU
WANT TO DO THIS?
AND HE SAID THIS IS EVERYTHING.
MY LIVELIHOOD.
MY HOME IS 2 BLOCKS FROM HERE.
I'M DEFENDING EVERYTHING.
I'M DEFENDING MY NEIGHBORS.
THIS IS WHAT I'VE BUILT, THIS
IS MY WHOLE LIFE.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO ALLOW IT TO
GO UP IN FLAMES.
THE PLAN WAS THIS, WE'LL STAY
OUTSIDE OUR BUSINESS AND MAKE A
LOT OF NOISE UNTIL 8:00.
THEN WE'LL SCALE BACK, PUT
PEOPLE INSIDE ON THE ROOF,
WE'RE GOING TO PUT PEOPLE IN
CARS, PARK CARS RIGHT IN FRONT
OF OUR BUILDING IN FRONT OF THE
ENTRANCE.
PEOPLE WILL BE POSITIONED IN
THE CARS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO YOU'RE SEEING SOME OF THE
PEOPLE OUTSIDE, BUT MANY OF THE
OTHER BUILDINGS THAT YOU CAN'T
TELL RIGHT NOW HAVE PEOPLE UP
ON THE ROOF AND IN DIFFERENT
VANTAGE POINTS.
BECAUSE OF THE CURFEW, THEY'RE
HOLDING BACK AND DEFENDING IT.
YOU KNOW IT'S OUT THERE BECAUSE
IT'S BECOME A COMMON THREAD
AMONGST THE SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS.
IF YOU WANT TO, AND I'M NOT
ASKING YOU TO DO IT LIVE ON
TELEVISION BECAUSE I'M NOT
INTERESTED IN SEEING YOU OR ART
GET SHOT, BUT IF YOU GET A
CHANCE AND ARE ABLE TO PULL
OVER AND TALK TO ONE OF THOSE
FOLKS, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE
FOR AN INTERESTING
CONVERSATION.
JUST THE MOTIVATION AND GETTING
TO THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO
PROTECT YOUR OWN LIFE, LIMB,
AND PROPERTY.
REPORTER: YEAH, AND THAT'S A
LITTLE BIT, WE'RE SETTING UP
FOR THE LITTLE EARTH INTERVIEW
AND THEN HEARD THE GUNSHOTS AND
EVERYBODY SCATTERED.
IT WAS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY.
BUT IT WAS ENOUGH THAT WHEN I
SAW THEM MOVE, WE MOVED.
IT'S, UM, YEAH, IT'S SURREAL
OUT HERE, GUYS.
BUT IT'S SURREAL, AND YET
WE'RE
GOING TO PRESERVE WHAT IT IS
WE'RE ABOUT.
ARE YOU GUYS PROTECTING THE
LAUNDROMAT?
JUST WATCHING?
EVERYTHING GOOD?
OKAY.
YOU SEE IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
EVEN THOUGH THESE PLACES ARE
BOARDED UP, THEIR FEAR IS MORE
ARSON THAN ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT
NOW.
SURE.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REPORTING.
YOU'VE BEEN GREAT.
NOT THAT WE'RE SAYING TO
QUIT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS
SEGMENT RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL CHECK BACK A LITTLE BIT
LATER.
ARE THERE POLICE OFFICERS IN
THAT THING BECAUSE THERE'S NO
METRO TRANSIT RUNNING RIGHT
NOW?
REPORTER: YEAH, YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE VAN THAT JUST
WENT BY.
THERE'S THE GUY WITH THE SHOT
GUN AGAIN.
THEY'RE USING IT, BUT WE
COULDN'T TELL IF ANYBODY WAS IN
IT.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE WE LEFT
THE STATION AND WE HAVE NOT
SEEN POLICE PRESENCE OR ANYBODY
ELSE THAT'S OUT HERE.
SO AS YOU WATCH THIS, YOU GET
WHY THE PEOPLE ARE OUT BECAUSE
YOU JUST DON'T SEE POLICE
OFFICERS OR ANYBODY ELSE.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST TENDING TO
THE QUOTE UNQUOTE HOT SPOTS.
BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MANY
AS THOSE EITHER.
IT'S A NIGHT IF YOU CALL THE
POLICE, MAYBE THEY'D GET THERE.
OR MAYBE THE BEST IDEA IS CALL
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
I JOKE, BUT I SHOULDN'T ABOUT
THAT.
BUT WE KNOW THE RESPONSE IS
DIFFERENT TONIGHT AND FROM THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
REPORTER: AND MAYBE THAT'S
KUDOS TO THE FACT THAT THE
CURFEW DID WORK AND THEIR
TACTICS WORKED REALLY WELL TO
GET PEOPLE OUT.
YEAH, INDEED.
BELIEVE ME AS WEIRD AS WHAT
YOU'RE SHOWING US LOOKS LIKE, I
THINK IT MAKES PEOPLE A LOT