Violent Denver George Floyd Protests: 13 Arrests, 3 Police Officers Hurt
DENVER (CBS4) - Thirteen people were arrested in downtown Denver during Thursday night's protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said the charges of those arrested range from burglary to criminal mischief to assault.
Three officers were also injured, and one had to go to the hospital. That officer's injuries are not life threatening.
Pazen stressed that the majority of people out demonstrating were doing so peacefully, but some "agitators within the group were throwing rocks, setting fires and causing damage to our business community." For that reason, police had to put on riot gear and at certain points disperse the crowd with what he described as less-lethal weapons. That lasted into the early Friday morning hours.
The police chief was particularly alarmed by the portion of Thursday night's events in which protesters walked from the capitol area to Interstate 25 and began blocking traffic in both directions. He urged protesters not to repeat what was a very dangerous situation for both drivers and the protesters, and he commended officers for getting the situation under control quickly.
"Officers were able to quickly engage with these protesters who were on both lanes, north and soutbound I-25, and get the highway cleared," Pazen said.
The following people were arrested:
*Note: The names of the people arrested and the charges they faces have been removed from this story*
For complete coverage of the protests in Minneapolis over the police killing of George Floyd visit CBSMinnesota.com and stream CBSN Minnesota.
