Rioters Target Police Across US; 4 Shot In St. Louis, 1 In Vegas, Bronx Hit-and-Run Caught On Video

Police officers across the U.S. were targeted in shootings and vehicular attacks Monday night as protests continued in major cities for the seventh night despite President Trump’s vow to clamp down on violence. The demonstrations on Monday marked a week of unrest since unarmed black man George Floyd died when a white Minneapolis officer jammed his knee into the back his neck in a shocking incident caught on video. Despite tens of thousands marching peacefully in demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism, protests over Floyd’s death have been nonetheless overshadowed by violence, looting and vandalism that has engulfed U.S. cities. In St. Louis, Mo., Monday night, four police officers were shot during protests in the city’s downtown area, two in the leg, one in the foot and one in the arm. In Las Vegas, Nevada, an officer was shot in the head at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino on the Strip. A source told 8News Now that the officer was in a fight with another suspect when someone walked up behind and shot the officer, who is now on life support.

LAPD Vehicle With 4 Officers Crashes Into Coffee Bean

A Los Angeles Police Department vehicle with four officers inside crashed into a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Studio City Monday night and two officers were hospitalized with minor injuries. A civilian car accidentally cut off the police vehicle, and officers swerved to avoid hitting the car, instead crashing into the coffee shop at 12501 Ventura Blvd., near Whitsett Avenue, about 7:40 p.m., according to Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department and Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The crash remains under investigation.

LAPD, FBI Collecting Protest, Looting Footage As Evidence For Future Arrests

Police officers have watched from skirmish lines as protesters and others stole from businesses, threw rocks, ignited fires and bashed in streetlights with skateboards. More than 1,000 were arrested in Los Angeles alone over the weekend, but officials said they have not given up on tracking down others. The Los Angeles Police Department has been collecting evidence throughout the protests in recent days over the death of George Floyd, mostly in the form of video footage that could be used to identify individuals and bring charges against them in the future. The FBI on Monday put out a nationwide call for pictures and videos that could help identify people “actively instigating violence” at protests across the country decrying Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

Arrests In Hollywood For Looting, Vandalism Following Night Of Multiple Protests

A curfew expired in all of Los Angeles County at 6 a.m. Tuesday in response to days of looting and civil unrest following the in-custody death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, prompting the deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Lakewood and Santa Monica. At least three nonviolent protests took place in Hollywood Monday with thousands of people who marched west along Hollywood Boulevard, chanting and carrying signs, including a lead banner with the words, "Say their names," in reference to victims of police shootings. The group marched in a circular pattern, eventually moving south to Sunset Boulevard and then back east. Several people were arrested for unlawful assembly in Hollywood, and many of them waited in the 6100 block of Sunset Boulevard, near Gower Street, to be taken away by a sheriff's department bus.

Man In Wheelchair Shot To Death In North Hollywood

Police are looking for a killer who fatally shot a man in a wheelchair in North Hollywood on Friday night. Isauro Birrueta, 26, of North Hollywood, died in the 11 p.m. shooting on Runnymede Street, just west of Lankershim Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner records. A report of an “assault with a deadly weapon” first drew police to the neighborhood, the LAPD said in a written statement. “When officers arrived, they found the victim unresponsive on the street sitting in his wheelchair, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” the statement said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. An autopsy determined Birrueta died from a gunshot wound to the head and the death was ruled a homicide, coroner’s records show.

Long Beach Police Swamped By Looting; National Guard Arrives

The protest in downtown Long Beach started peacefully Sunday on Ocean Boulevard. But while hundreds demonstrated against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a separate, growing group began robbing stores in the Pike Outlets a block away. Soon, more than 100 people were robbing stores. Some protesters went to the mall and begged looters to stop. “Is this how you protest?” one demonstrator screamed at a looter as he emerged from a T-Mobile store. For the next few hours, countless stores in and around downtown Long Beach were broken into and robbed, and a few were set on fire. Police acknowledged they didn’t have enough officers to deal with both the protests and the looters.

2,100-Plus Arrested So Far In Los Angeles County While Protests Rage

At least 2,100 people were arrested in three L.A. County cities over the weekend that saw peaceful protests but also vandalism and looting. Most of the arrests were in Los Angeles, with Officer Rosario Cervantes, a Police Department spokeswoman, saying her agency arrested an estimated 700 people during the civil unrest alone on Sunday. In the two days prior, officers arrested 931. The arrests were for a variety of allegations, including burglary, looting, battery on a police officer, failure to disperse and violating curfew. Some were arrested on probation violations. At least one was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The protests turned violent Saturday and Sunday, hitting hard the Fairfax District, downtown Los Angeles and the cities of Long Beach and Santa Monica. City leaders spoke during a Monday press conference about shop owners coming back to burned out buildings in tears.

Los Angeles County Officials: Protests Are Good, But Crime Is Hurting Residents

Los Angeles county and city officials on Monday addressed recent protests and street violence prompted by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers one week ago, saying they support peaceful demonstrations but will not tolerate criminal activity. “There is racism in this country. But looting and breaking the law in violent fashion will not bring along the change we want to see,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey during a Monday virtual press conference. Lacey described the death of Floyd, an African-American, who was pinned down by a white officer on his neck until he died as “disgusting and vile,” adding she was glad now-former Officer Derek Chauvin was charged.

Public Safety News

Fire Ignites In Looted Strip Mall; Scene Of Reported Shooting

A Van Nuys strip mall, which was the scene of looting and a reported shooting Monday, caught fire this evening, but the cause of the blaze was not immediately known. The flames were reported about 7:20 p.m. in the 15700 block of West Vanowen Street, near the San Diego (405) Freeway, according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The strip mall was looted earlier in the day and a shooting had been reported, but no suspects or victims were found, Prange said. Further information about the shooting was not available. Three units of the strip mall were damaged by flames, but 71 firefighters extinguished the flames without any injuries, according to Prange. The fire was out by 8:10 p.m., and its cause was under investigation.

Countywide Curfew Issued After Violent Unrest Throughout Parts Of LA

A curfew has been issued following another day of violence, looting and destruction throughout parts of Los Angeles city and county. This order does not apply to peace officers, firefighters, and National Guard or other military personnel deployed to the area, individuals traveling to and from work, people experiencing homelessness and without access to a viable shelter, and individuals seeking medical treatment. Any violation of the order is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine. The Los Angeles County curfew starts at 6 p.m. Sunday and will go through 6 a.m. Sunday, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

‘There’s A Lot Of Risk’: LA County Health Officials Urge Protesters To Wear Masks

Public health experts in Los Angeles County are concerned about the spread of coronavirus as thousands gather to protest the deadly arrest of George Floyd. While many have worn masks and some initial protests called on participants to practice physical distancing, many groups were seen without face coverings and standing closely together as they demanded justice. L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer urged demonstrators exercising their First Amendment rights to also consider the health of themselves and their community. To date, 2,384 people have died in L.A. County due to COVID-19, with Ferrer stating that African Americans have shown a slightly higher rate of death than other races and ethnicities.