George Floyd Protests: 6 Arrested Overnight, Including 74-Year-Old Woman And Man With Long Gun, After Protesters Clash With Police In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- At least six people were arrested overnight after a smaller group of protesters clashed with police following a day of peaceful protests in Baltimore.
Among those arrested was 74-year-old Anne Blumenberg, of the 3600 block of Greenmount Avenue, for failure to obey.
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Thirty-year-old Tabitha Asten, of the unit block of Cross Falls Circle in Sparks, 28-year-old Jacob Vincent, of the 200 block of Michele Court, and 26-year-old Felix Bawo Gbubemi, of the unit block of Christina Lynn Court, were also arrested for failure to obey.
George Augusta Patterson Jr, 37, of the 2300 block of KoKo Lane, was arrested without incident while carrying a long gun.
Dyllan Hildebrand, 28, of the 1900 block of Stanhope Road in Dundalk, was arrested for allegedly throwing fireworks.
The arrests occurred late Monday into early Tuesday when police and protesters clashed near City Hall. When taking into consideration the more than 1,000 demonstrators at events throughout the evening, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the low number of arrests "speaks volumes about the restraint displayed by both sides."
Officers saw people setting off illegal fireworks and throwing objects near other protesters and police downtown, prompting city police to call Maryland State Police for backup.
Tuesday afternoon, police shared video of a group of demonstrators turning a person in to officers after setting off an M-80 firework near a line of officers, Harrison said.
"Baltimore stood up and refused to let decisive and subversive agendas and actions hurt their city and cloud the message of peace and the message of change," the commissioner said.
WATCH: Protesters Turn In Person Who Threw Firework At Police
Police were seen lined up in riot gear in a standoff with protesters. They tried several tactics to disperse the crowd and some worked as the crowd began to dwindle. But a smaller group of protesters remained, many still peaceful with their hands in the air, saying "Don't Shoot."
It put a damper on a day that had been overwhelmingly peaceful.
Thousands of protesters gathered peacefully downtown in Baltimore, shutting down major roadways Monday evening, as they marched through the city to protest police brutality and systemic racism after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Floyd died on Memorial Day following an encounter with Minneapolis police. Cell phone video of his arrest showed former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as he pleaded for help, telling Chauvin and other officers he couldn't breathe.
Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted that Baltimore set an example for our nation.
"Thousands of young people and community leaders expressed their frustrations peacefully, while working with police to stand up to a handful of extremists with a violent agenda. This is how real, positive change happens," Hogan tweeted.
"The senseless murder of George Floyd and so many African Americans throughout our history shows we still have a long way to go to live up to our nation's highest ideals," Hogan continued.
Mayor Jack Young thanked the thousands of protesters who marched peacefully through downtown.
"Thank you, Baltimore. Thank you for your continued pursuit of justice. Thank you for holding us accountable. Thank you for doing it all peacefully," Young tweeted.
The Baltimore Police union president Mike Mancuso responded to the arrests saying, "I would like to commend our members on their arrest last night of a protestor who was carrying a loaded firearm and a large amount of ammunition. This suspect was within the crowd of antagonists and arrested without incident. Great job BPD officers."
Baltimore leaders have said the city's protesters have lead the national example for what a peaceful protest should look like. Many other major cities have been burned and looted, taking away from the core reason for the protest.
For full coverage of the George Floyd unrest in Minneapolis, go to CBS Minnesota.
