DENVER — Riots erupted in Denver Wednesday night over the afternoon grand jury verdict in 26-year-old Breonna Taylor’s case because jurors thought the evidence merited bringing Officer Brett Hankison to trial on first-degree “wanton endangerment.”
Rioters were demanding murder charges for officers who shot Taylor while executing a no-knock drug raid on her home. During the raid, according to grand jury testimony, a male inhabitant standing next to her shot police after they announced themselves, got no response, and then opened the door, upon which officers returned fire, hitting Taylor.
Hundreds flocked to the Colorado Capitol building in the early evening to hear speeches. They proceeded to take over the street on the west end of the capital grounds, chanting “Breonna Taylor.”
The scene. A few hundred here I guesstimate. pic.twitter.com/47LemO5kos
— Shelly Bradbury (@ShellyBradbury) September 24, 2020
Things quickly escalated after 9 p.m., when most of the protestors went home, while a slimmer but sizable crowd of about 100 stayed behind and still demanded control of the streets. Moments later, one man drove his car down the block protestors were occupying. They surrounded the car and ordered the individual to turn around.
After several minutes of tense back-and-forth, the driver gave up and plowed through the unrelenting crowd anyway.
Man came down the road protestors were occupying and ran through pic.twitter.com/avqn8TEtrV
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) September 24, 2020
Demonstrators then began a march to the Denver police about three blocks west of the capitol building where protestors harassed police through the gates and re-positioned dumpsters to serve as protective barriers.
“I need that, I need that for things,” said a man who can be heard in the background who worked in the building next-door where the dumpster was taken.
Man who works at the shop behind me as protestors use the dumpster as a blockade.
“I need that, I need that.” pic.twitter.com/LKIPRpjpBe
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) September 24, 2020
Protestors continued to threaten police lined up behind the fence of the 6th District station, shaking the metal barricade while launching fireworks at the officers, who responded by shooting pepper balls.
Crowd cheers as protestors throw fireworks at Denver police pic.twitter.com/yfyw5GGdiX
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) September 24, 2020
After police pushed out the demonstrators with non-lethal crowd control tactics, away from the police building, rioters pulled dumpsters out of nearby alleys and dumped their contents over the streets while vandalizing the adjacent parked vehicles.
Dumping out the trash on the street pic.twitter.com/JowMTtSwSM
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) September 24, 2020
Car is beat up pic.twitter.com/Ukr8azMA9U
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) September 24, 2020
Several other major cities across the nation suffered a repeat outbreak of civil unrest in the aftermath of Taylor’s verdict, including Louisville, where the March shooting occurred. The Louisville Police Department reported that two of its officers had been shot amid the anarchic chaos.
Interim Louisville Chief of Police Robert Schroeder told reporters both officers are “stable.”
https://twitter.com/ShelbyTalcott/status/1308954413395070976?s=20
Protests were also reported in New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Washington D.C., where rioters began harassing restaurant diners.
Now have moved to the harassing outdoor restaurant diners phase pic.twitter.com/W4jerYkjnZ
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) September 24, 2020
Easily 1000 protesters in NY blocking traffic in both directions as they cross the Manhattan Bridge. Someone yells at the double decker tourist bus, "Welcome to New York!" pic.twitter.com/rc4buwc8X9
— Rachel Olding (@rachelolding) September 24, 2020
We’re in Little Tokyo now. A lot of diners outside but there appears to be no disruption to service for anyone as the protestors march on. @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/VfvPO4TlgI
— Veronica Miracle (@vmiracleCNN) September 24, 2020