Police arrested more than 100 people in the Loop as a protest over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer raged late Friday night and early Saturday, according to initial information from CPD.
The crowd turned increasingly violent as Friday night wore on. Protesters slashed tires on police cars and set at least one police squad car on fire, according to witnesses.
Officers arrested one man after they allegedly saw him firing a handgun toward or near police on the 600 block of South Wabash at 1:25 a.m. A gun was recovered at the scene, police said.
Groups of people broke glass on downtown storefronts and there were widespread reports of merchandise being stolen from retailers that were closed for the night. Among the damaged businesses were Champs Sporting Goods, Old Navy, Macy’s, Target, and three stores on Jewelers Row along the first block of South Wabash, according to reports.
There were limited reports of damage to businesses in River North and along the Magnificent Mile, including broken glass at the Marriott Hotel, 540 North Michigan.
One man is in custody for allegedly breaking a police officer’s wrist during the protest.
The 1st District and 18th District police station lock-ups reached capacity due to the volume of arrests. As a result, CPD wagons hauled some detainees to Area 3 police headquarters at Belmont and Western for processing.
In Uptown, a man gained access to the Wilson Yards Target store and began destroying displays and merchandise with a baseball bat around 4 a.m. He slipped out through an emergency exit as police arrived.
CWBChicago will post updates as more details emerge about specific incidents.
