The Epoch Times
The Epoch Times
AD
The Epoch Times
Support Us
SHARE
US Crime News

Riots Break Out in US Cities After Decision in Breonna Taylor Case

Copy
Facebook
X
Truth
Gettr
LinkedIn
Telegram
Email
Save
Riots Break Out in US Cities After Decision in Breonna Taylor Case
Police officers move past Louisville City Hall as a curfew is implemented at 9 p.m. to disperse rioters after a grand jury voted to indict one of three police officers for wanton endangerment in the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead by police after her boyfriend fired at officers, in Louisville, Ky., Sept., 23, 2020. Carlos Barria/Reuters
Zachary Stieber
By Zachary Stieber
9/24/2020Updated: 9/24/2020
Rioters smashed windows, set fires, and assaulted police officers in multiple U.S. cities overnight Wednesday after a grand jury returned charges against one of the three officers involved in the Breonna Taylor shooting in Louisville.

Activists wanted the officers charged with murder but an investigation found the shooting was justified because Taylor’s boyfriend fired at the cops first, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, told reporters.

A rioter in Seattle threw an explosive at police officers. When officers tried arresting the individual, a mob threw bottles and rocks at them, triggering the deployment of crowd control munitions like blast balls.

The violent demonstrators set dumpsters on fire and threw more explosives at officers, the Seattle Police Department said.

Multiple officers suffered injuries, including one who was struck in the head with a baseball bat. The impact cracked his helmet. Video footage showed a rioter swinging the bat and hitting the officer.

A window at the Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct (L) and a rock thrown at police officers during a riot (R), in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2020. (Portland Police Bureau)
A window at the Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct (L) and a rock thrown at police officers during a riot (R), in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2020. Portland Police Bureau
A police officer struck by a rioter's baseball bat holds his cracked helmet, in Seattle, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2020. (Seattle Police Department)
A police officer struck by a rioter's baseball bat holds his cracked helmet, in Seattle, Ore., on Sept. 23, 2020. Seattle Police Department

Officers arrested 13 people for charges including property destruction, resisting arrest, and assault on an officer.

Rioters in Portland set the Multnomah County Justice Center on fire and tried smashing windows at the Portland Police  Bureau’s Central Precinct.

As officers dispersed the unlawful assembly, people in the crowd launched commercial-grade fireworks at them. They also threw glass bottles and rocks and shined green lasers.

At one point, a person in the crowd threw a Molotov cocktail, striking one officer in the foot.

A Portland Fire medic was nearby and quickly extinguished the flames.

“Had this incendiary not been stopped immediately, it could have caused serious physical injury to the officer,” the bureau said in an incident summary.

Multiple arrests were made.

Rioters in St. Louis blocked traffic, threw a large firework at officers, and set a fire at the police headquarters, KMOV reported.
People march on State Street in Chicago's Loop neighborhood, during protests in Chicago demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, on Sept. 23, 2020. (Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
People march on State Street in Chicago's Loop neighborhood, during protests in Chicago demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, on Sept. 23, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
In Louisville, hundreds marched downtown, smashing windows and harassing store owners. Two police officers were shot during the mayhem.
Both are expected to survive and the suspect was arrested, as were 126 others.

A group dumped a coffin full of dirt and what was believed to be manure at the front door of the Asheville Police Department in North Carolina.

The crowd refused to disperse from a nearby area and at least one assault took place, police officers said.

An assembly in Atlanta was broken up by George State Capitol Police and the Georgia National Guard.

Authorities used tear gas to keep the crowd from moving on the capitol grounds, according to local reports, and made a number of arrests.

Demonstrators in multiple cities were seen confronting people seated at outdoor tables at restaurants, an action that can lead to being arrested.

A group started going restaurant by restaurant to chant at diners in St. Petersburg, Florida. In one case, they interrupted an older couple and sat down at their table, refusing to leave.
Agitators in Washington also confronted outdoor diners. A number of arrests were made in the nation’s capitol, where rioters brawled with police officers.
Demonstrators march during a protest in New York City on Sept. 23, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo)
Demonstrators march during a protest in New York City on Sept. 23, 2020. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo

In other cities, protests remained peaceful, authorities said.

A crowd estimated in the thousands marching in New York City eventually dispersed with no arrests made, according to the New York City Police Department.

Some stores were vandalized on the outside with red paint and “Paint the City Red” posters, the New York Post reported.

Several hundred people marched to the Minnesota Capitol Mall in St. Paul before blocking traffic on I-94.

Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
twitter
truth
Author’s Selected Articles

FDA Advisers Recommend Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

May 22, 2025
FDA Advisers Recommend Updated COVID-19 Vaccines

Takeaways From the Make America Healthy Again Commission Report

May 22, 2025
Takeaways From the Make America Healthy Again Commission Report

READ: Full Report From Make America Healthy Again Commission

May 22, 2025
READ: Full Report From Make America Healthy Again Commission

MAHA Commission Recommends Nutrition Trials to Improve Childhood Health

May 22, 2025
MAHA Commission Recommends Nutrition Trials to Improve Childhood Health
Related Topics
Portland
Seattle
riots
Breonna Taylor
Save
The Epoch Times
Copyright © 2000 - 2025 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.