WE
WE ARE
WE ARE FOLLOWING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MINNEAPOLIS, BOTH
FROM THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND.
AN, WE BEGIN WITH DEEVON
RAHMING, ON THE PHONE, WHO HAS
BEEN FOLLOWING THESE PROTESTS
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. WE
TODAY. WE KNOW YOU'RE JOINING US ON
THE PHONE, BECAUSE WHERE YOU
WERE IN YOUR LIVE LOCATION WAS
NO LONGER SAFE.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHERE YOU WERE
AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
>> Reporter: YEAH, IT SEEMS AS
THOUGH THINGS HAVE GONE FROM
BAD TO WORSE AS WE HAVE BEEN
OUT HERE SINCE THIS AFTERNOON,
REALLY.
REALLY.
REALLY. WE WERE DOWN NEAR THE THIRD
PRECINCT OFF OF EAST LAKE
STREET AND MINNEHAHA AVENUE,
AND THE FLASH BOMBS CONTINUE,
THE TEARGAS CONTINUES TO FLOW,
AND THAT IS WHEN WE NOTICED
SOME OF THE PROPERTIES AROUND
THE AREA WERE BEING LOOTED.
WE SAW PEOPLE GOING IN AND OUT
OF SOME OF THE LOCAL LIQUOR
STORES IN THE AREA, GOING IN
AND STEALING LIQUOR BOTTLES AND
WHATNOT, PEOPLE WERE GOING INTO
THE AUTOZONE WHICH YOU JUST
MENTIONED IS ON FIRE RIGHT NOW
AS I'M TALKING TO YOU GUYS, AND
WE HAD TO GO A COUPLE MILES
DOWN THE ROAD, DOWN EAST LAKE
STREET, JUST TO GET AWAY FROM
THE CHAOS, BECAUSE THE PARKING
LOT WHERE WE WERE PARKED AT THE
U.S. BANK, THE PROTESTERS
HEADED DOWN THAT DIRECTION AND
STARTED BREAKING INTO THE BANK
OF THE PARKING LOT WHERE WE
WERE PARKED.
WERE PARKED. THE U.S. BANK WINDOWS ARE
BUSTED OUT RIGHT NOW AS A
RESULT OF PEOPLE TAKING TO THE
WINDOWS IN THAT AREA, SO WE
PACKED UP ALL OF OUR GEAR, WE
WERE JUST GETTING READY TO SET
UP TO GO LIVE, JUST OUT OF THE
-- JUST FROM DOWN THE WAY, FROM
THE THIRD PRECINCT, AND WE SAW
ALL OF THE PEOPLE HEADING OUR
WAY, WRITING IN OUR DIRECTION
AS THE FIRE TRUCKS AND STUFF
FOR COMING IN AND WE SAW THAT
THEY WERE GOING AFTER SOME OF
THE BUILDINGS IN OUR AREA AND
EVEN SOME OF THE CARS IN THE
PARKING LOT WHERE WE WERE
PARKED.
PARKED.
PARKED. SO WE PACKED UP EVERYTHING, WE
HEADED DOWN, WE ARE NOW ABOUT
TWO MILES OUT FROM THE ACTUAL
EPICENTER WHERE EVERYTHING IS
TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW.
THE SMOKE FROM THE AUTOZONE
THAT IS ON FIRE RIGHT NOW, THAT
ALONE WAS ENOUGH TO CUT YOUR
BREATH OFF WHILE YOU ARE TRYING
TO STAND OUT THERE AND TRY TO
FIND COVER IF YOU WILL, AND
FIND SHELTER, IF YOU WILL, JUST
BECAUSE ALL OF THE EXPLOSIVE
MATERIALS THAT ARE IN THAT
STORE.
STORE.
STORE. RIGHT NOW, THAT ARE ON FIRE.
SO, WE HAVE CLEARED THE SCENE,
DOWN THE STREET HERE, WE HAVE
FOUND A SAFE SPOT WHERE WE ARE
SETTING UP SHOP AND HOPEFULLY
WE CAN GO LIVE FOR YOU GUYS
LATER IN THE SHOW, TO KIND OF
PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE WHAT IS
REALLY HAPPENING OUT HERE JUST
SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE EXACTLY
WHAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO DEAL
WITHOUT HERE.
WITHOUT HERE. AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THESE
CROWDS ARE DYING DOWN ANYTIME
SOON.
SOON.
SOON. AS
SOON. AS A MATTER FACT, PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN COMING AND GOING ALL DAY
SINCE WE HAVE BEEN OUT HERE,
EARLIER TODAY AT 2:00 WHEN THE
PROTESTS MOVED FROM 38th AND
CHICAGO TO THE THIRD PRECINCT
HERE OFF OF EAST LAKE STREET.
SO, A VERY, VERY UNFORTUNATE
SITUATION UNFOLDING OUT HERE
TONIGHT, AND YOU KNOW, MANY
PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH SAY THAT,
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THIS IS
WHAT GEORGE FLOYD WOULD HAVE
NECESSARILY ENVISIONED OR WANTED
WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE
DEMANDING JUSTICE ON HIS
BEHALF.
BEHALF.
BEHALF. SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS
HAPPENING OUT HERE AND IT IS
VERY UNFORTUNATE FOR SOME OF
THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN
DESTROYED, LITERALLY DESTROYED,
AS A RESULT OF EVERYTHING THAT
HAS UNFOLDED OUT HERE TONIGHT.
TRULY.
TRULY.
TRULY. >>
TRULY. >> SO, AS YOU WERE WATCHING, I
HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THE FIRST IS, WERE YOU NOTICING
AS NIGHT FELL THAT IT SEEMED
THE CROWDS WERE GROWING?
OR WERE THEY GETTING SMALLER,
MAYBE YOU COULDN'T TELL FROM
YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
YOUR PERSPECTIVE. BUT MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WHEN
YOU SAW THE AUTOZONE, THE
TARGETS, THE U.S. BANK WINDOWS
BEING BROKEN, WAS THERE ANY
POLICE PRESENCE AROUND THOSE
AREAS THAT YOU SAW TONIGHT?
OR NOT?
OR NOT?
OR NOT? >> Reporter: TO ANSWER YOUR
FIRST QUESTION, AS THE EVENING
PROGRESSED, THE CROWD
DEFINITELY GREW LARGER.
THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE OUT HERE
THIS EVENING AS THE SUN WAS
SETTING, THEN THERE WERE
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, AND IT
SEEMED AS THOUGH PEOPLE ARE
STILL COMING.
STILL COMING. WHILE WE WERE BACK OUT THERE I
PARKED IN THE U.S. BANK PARKING
LOT AND WE SAW A DROVES OF
PEOPLE COMING DOWN THE STREET
HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF ALL
OF THE CHAOS.
THE EPICENTER, IF YOU WILL, OF
THE PROTEST.
THE PROTEST. SO, YEAH, THE CROWD HAS
DEFINITE GOTTEN LARGER AND IT
SEEMS LIKE, WELL IT IS PRETTY
OBVIOUS, ACTUALLY, THAT THE
CROWDS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT MORE
HOSTILE, IF YOU WILL, WITH
EVERYTHING THAT IS UNFOLDING
OUT HERE RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT WAS YOUR SECOND
QUESTION?
QUESTION?
QUESTION? >> DID YOU NOTICE ANY POLICE
PRESENCE AROUND THE BUSINESSES
OR NEIGHBORHOODS OR ARE THEY
MOSTLY CENTERED AROUND THE
THIRD PRECINCT ITSELF?
THE MARKET IS UNFORTUNATE, MANY
OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED ARE
HERE IN THE THIRD PRECINCT ARE
REALLY JUST STUCK DOWN THERE
TRYING TO MAN THE UPPER CENTER
OF ALL OF THIS, SO, NO, THERE
WERE NO POLICE THAT WERE AROUND
SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT
WERE BEING LOOTED OR THE AREA
THAT WE WERE IN.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY, WHAT WAS
KIND OF NICE IS THAT THERE WERE
SOME PROTESTERS WHO TOOK IT
UPON THEMSELVES TO KIND OF
BLOCK PEOPLE FROM LOOTING SOME
OF THESE BUSINESSES.
AND TRYING TO BREAK INTO SOME
OF THE BUSINESSES.
ONE GUY I SPOKE WITH, ASKED
HIM, I SAID HEY, DO YOU ON THIS
SHOP HERE?
SHOP HERE? THIS TOBACCO SHOP?
AND HE SAID NO, BUT I AM SICK
OF WHAT IS UNFOLDING OUT HERE
AND NOW, THIS IS NOT WHY WE'RE
OUT HERE, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE
ARE ASKING FOR.
SO THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE
FLIPSIDE OF THIS WHO WANT TO
PROTEST PEACEFULLY AND ARE
TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES TO
KIND OF KEEP THE PEACE AND
ORDER, IF YOU WILL, OUT HERE.
>> WOULD YOU SAY, I KNOW YOU
HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ALL DAY,
AND WOULD YOU SAY THAT EARLIER
TODAY IT WAS MOSTLY PEACEFUL
AND AS IT HAS GOTTEN LATER INTO
THE EVENING, IT HAS TAKEN A
DARK TURN?
DARK TURN? AND WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE
ARE STILL A LOT OF PEACEFUL
PROTESTERS OUT THERE TONIGHT,
OR IS HEADED JUST KIND OF
DEVOLVING INTO MAYHEM?
>> IT HAS KIND OF DEVOLVED INTO
MAYHEM.
MAYHEM.
MAYHEM. I
MAYHEM. I WILL SAY WE STARTED OUR
COVERAGE OUT ON 30th AND
CHICAGO, WHICH IS WHERE THE
INITIAL RESTS TOOK PLACE OF
GEORGE FLOYD, AND IT WAS PEOPLE
OUT THERE THIS MORNING, THEY
HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO CAME IN
FROM CHICAGO AND THEY WERE KIND
OF SPEARHEADING EVERYTHING THIS
MORNING, THEY WERE -- HAD A
PEACEFUL PROTEST GOING ON, THEY
HAD THEIR BULLHORNS OUT,
CHANTING DIFFERENT THINGS,
PEOPLE WERE COMING AND LAYING
FLOWERS AND PICTURES AND
WHATNOT AT THE MAKESHIFT
MEMORIAL THAT THEY MADE OUT ON
THE STREET WHERE EVERYTHING
TOOK PLACE.
TOOK PLACE. BUT THEN AROUND 2:00, THEY MADE
THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE
PROTEST WAS GOING TO MOVE TO
THE THIRD PRECINCT AND IT SEEMS
AS THOUGH FROM 2:00 ON, IS WHEN
THINGS STARTED TO REALLY GO
DOWNHILL.
DOWNHILL.
DOWNHILL. IT WAS AROUND MAYBE 5:30, 6:00,
WHEN POLICE STARTED TO TAKE
EVERYTHING INTO THEIR OWN HANDS
AND THEY STARTED TO COME IN
WITH THE TEARGAS AND EVERYTHING
LIKE THAT, COMING IN ALL
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS FROM SOME
OF THE SIDE STREETS, FROM THE
MAJOR INTERSECTION, POLICE WERE
JUST COMING FROM EVERYWHERE OUT
OF NOWHERE, EVEN ON HORSES,
WITH THE TEARGAS AND ANYTHING
LIKE THAT, TRYING TO CONTROL
THE CROWDS, IF YOU WILL,
BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WERE OUT
THERE THROWING BOTTLES, PEOPLE
WERE THROWING ROCKS, WE EVEN
HAD, OUR CRUISE EVEN HAD TO TRY
TO RUN AND TAKE SHELTER TO
AVOID GETTING HURT AND MANAGE
OUR OWN SAFETY WHILE WE WERE
OUT AND ABOUT, BUT IT
DEFINITELY HAS TAKEN A TURN FOR
THE WORSE AS NIGHTFALL HAS
REACHED US.
REACHED US. SO, IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT'S
GOING TO BE GETTING ANY BETTER
ANYTIME SOON, AND I HAVE NOT
SEEN ANY OTHER EXTRA POLICE OUT
IN THE AREA, WHERE WE WERE
EITHER.
EITHER.
EITHER. >> I AM WONDERING, DID YOU
HAVE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU
WERE STATIONED TODAY, OR HOW
MUCH SHE MOVED AROUND, IT
SOUNDS LIKE A BIT, WERE YOU
EVER NEAR THE ACTUAL THIRD
PRECINCT?
PRECINCT?
PRECINCT? DID YOU SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING
THERE BETWEEN POLICE AND
PROTESTERS?
PROTESTERS? FROM WHAT WE COULD SEE FROM SKY
11, IT SEEMED AS IF THERE WAS
LITERALLY JUST A LINE OF
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER POLICE
OFFICERS STANDING, AND AT
TIMES, MOVING THE CROWD BACK.
I AM ASSUMING THEY WERE MOVING
THEM BACK FROM THE POLICE
PRECINCT BUILDING, BUT IT WAS
RATHER HARD TO TELL FROM SKY
11.
11.
11. I'M
11. I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY
INSIGHT ON THAT?
>> Reporter: YEAH, SO WE WERE
JUST MAYBE A BLOCK OR TWO AWAY
FROM THE ACTUAL PRECINCT, AND
YOU ARE RIGHT, THERE WERE
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER POLICE
THAT WERE LINED UP OUTSIDE OF
THE PRECINCT, PUSHING THOSE
CROWDS BACK, BECAUSE I DON'T
KNOW IF SOME OF OUR VIEWERS MAY
HAVE NOTICED LAST NIGHT, SOME
OF THE PROTESTERS ACTUALLY
DAMAGED THE PRECINCT, SOME OF
THE WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT,
THEY HAVE SOME OF THEM BOARDED
UP, THEN THERE WERE ALSO POLICE
THAT WERE LINED UP ON THE ROOF
OF THE PRECINCT TODAY, ALONG
WITH THOSE OFFICERS THAT WERE
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER DOWN ON
THE STREET LEVEL.
THERE WERE ALSO OFFICERS THAT
WERE ON TOP OF THE ROOF, THEY
HAD BEANBAG GUNS THAT THEY WERE
FIRING TO HELP MANAGE THE
CROWDS AND KEEP PEOPLE BACK AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. BUT, YEAH, THEY STILL HAVE SOME
OF THOSE OFFICERS STILL STAGED
ON THE ROOF, MANAGING THE CROWD
FROM ABOVE.
FROM ABOVE. SO, LOTS OF POLICE PRESIDENTS
DOWN IN THAT AREA BUT NOT
NECESSARILY IN THE AREAS WHERE
ALL THIS LOOTING AND EVERYTHING
ELSE IS TAKING PLACE.
>> DEMAND, WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE
SAFE, WE WANT YOU TO STAY SAFE,
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHTS