Is This Getting out of Control? Police Precinct Set on Fire in Minneapolis amid Ongoing George Floyd Protests

A police station in Minneapolis was set on fire after protests turned destructive following Monday’s killing of George Floyd.

At about 10 p.m. on Thursday, rioters set fires inside and around the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct building, WCCO reported.

In a statement police said, “In the interest of the safety of our personnel, the Minneapolis Police Department evacuated the 3rd Precinct of its staff. Protesters forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires.”

Protests also took place in neighboring St. Paul, where police said more than 170 businesses have been “damaged or looted,” and about a dozen fires have been set.

Protests have also spread across the country to cities like Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

The ongoing protests were touched off by the death of Floyd, 46, whose final moments were caught on-camera, with viral footage sparking widespread outrage on social media. In the video, an officer — later identified as Derek Chauvin — is seen placing his knee firmly on the back of Floyd’s neck as he lies face down on his stomach, next to a patrol car.

Floyd can be heard in the video groaning in pain while bystanders plead with Chauvin to be more gentle. Throughout the nine-minute clip, he repeatedly asks for help. He tells the officers that he cannot breathe and says that “everything hurts.” The video continued until Floyd was visibly still.

In the initial media statement after Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis Police Department alleged that he was “under the influence,” and that police were responding to a report of forgery.