A group of reckless drivers contributed to a hostile situation in downtown Minneapolis by doing burnouts and donuts. At the same time, a crowd showed up to damage a police squad car responding to the drivers.
WCCO posted a video showing an intersection in the North Loop neighborhood filled with drivers in their cars doing their dangerous work.
Police say these same drivers also engaged in reckless driving in the neighborhood.
In the video, police vehicle lights can be seen as the Minneapolis Police Department arrived. Police said officers were met with aggressive and hostile behavior and had rocks and bottles thrown at them.
Police spokesperson John Elder said one police squad car suffered damage.
“The fact of the matter is that these people are creating a dangerous environment that threatens the safety of others while damaging property. This is a pattern of behavior that has plagued cities across the metro, especially this summer,” Elder said.
Police said the group had dissipated by the time all the officers responded. Police gave one person a citation.
Minneapolis has been dealing with a crime problem since at least May when rioters and looters took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Statistics from the Minneapolis Police Department show that in the past year alone, violent crimes rose by 20 percent, leaving many residents wondering how the city can put an end to these acts of violence.
The violence also comes with calls to defund or abolish the city’s police department.