An angry group of protesters attempted to gain entry into a Brooklyn police precinct on Friday night, as violent protests in response to the killing of George Floyd entered their second night.
“Police rushed reinforcements to the 88th Precinct in Clinton Hill, where early reports said windows were broken and some shots were fired,” the New York Daily News reported.
The precinct is located near the Barclays Center, the main scene of demonstrations against police brutality in the city’s most populated burrough.
As the Daily News reports:
Crowds began moving toward the precinct around 8:20 p.m., said reports. Some in the group tried to rush the police precinct’s door, said law enforcement sources. Officers in riot gear tried to keep the protesters at bay.
The precinct is about 1¼ miles from the Barclays Center, scene of an earlier protest over the death of George Floyd, who authorities say was choked to death by a Minneapolis police officer.
A police vehicle was set fire several blocks from the precinct, on South Portland Ave. near the entrance to Fort Greene Park, said a Daily News reporter at the scene.
Another, large group of protesters was dispersed by police when they attempted to rally a block south of the precinct.
The 88th wasn’t the only precinct to be targeted by protesters, the 79th was also hit.
On a video that was released Monday, Floyd could be seen laying on his stomach, cuffed, while an officer held him down by placing his knee on Floyd’s neck. The officer kept his knee on the man’s neck for several minutes despite Floyd saying that he couldn’t breathe.
Floyd was later declared dead, four officers involved have been fired by the Minneapolis Police Department. On Friday, Derek Chauvin, the officer who had his knee on Floyd’s shoulder, was arrested and charged with murder.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn