George Floyd protests spread nationwide

By Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Fernando Alfonso III, Daniella Diaz, Jessie Yeung, Steve George, Ivana Kottasová and Nick Thompson, CNN

Updated 8:56 p.m. ET, May 30, 2020
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7:15 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

How the Minneapolis arrest of CNN crew unfolded -- live on air

CNN reporter Omar Jimenez.
CNN reporter Omar Jimenez. CNN

A CNN crew has been taken to custody amid protests in Minneapolis early on Friday morning.

Here is how the situation unfolded:

At 5:09 a.m. local time, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez was reporting live on an arrest happening in the area near a city police department precinct that protesters had burned and officers had abandoned overnight.

About a block away, a fire was burning at a different, four-story building that had contained restaurants. He was standing in front of a long line of police officers in riot gear.

Shortly after his crew captured the arrest on camera, the police officers moved towards Jimenez and his crew, asking them to move.

Jimenez told the officers he and his three colleagues were part of the same CNN crew and calmly identified himself with his CNN identification card.

Jimenez was then heard as telling the officers:

"We can move back to where you'd like. We can move back to where you'd like here. We are live on the air at the moment. 
This is the four of us. We are one team. 
Just put us back where you want us. We're getting out of your way. So, just let us know. 
Wherever you'd want us, we will go. We were just getting out of your way when you were advancing through the intersection. Let us know and we've got you."

At 5:11 a.m., two officers in riot gear stepped up to Jimenez and said "you are under arrest."

Jimenez calmly asked why was he under arrest.

"Why am I under arrest, sir?"

He was then handcuffed and led away by the police, as the camera kept rolling.

Shortly after that, CNN photojournalist Leonel Mendez who was with Jimenez said he and the rest of the crew were also being arrested.

The camera then showed Jimenez's producer Bill Kirkos being handcuffed taken into custody.

Shortly after that, the camera, which was still rolling, was taken away from the crew.

10:35 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Arrest of CNN team makes "no sense," former police chief says

Charles Ramsey, a veteran police chief who led departments in Philadelphia and Washington, DC and who now serves as a CNN law enforcement analyst, said the arrest of the CNN crew in Minneapolis "did not make any sense."

"The state police are going to have a lot to answer for with this arrest here," he said. "He's standing there, he identified himself. You can see his credentials. Just move him to where you want him to be."

Ramsey added that the there was "no way something like that should occur."

"I don't know where the person in command of that platoon is. But that's an individual who is definitely not taking charge," he added.

Watch:

6:58 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

CNN calls arrest of team a 'violation of First Amendment rights'

CNN has criticized the arrest of one of its teams on the ground in Minneapolis in a tweet this morning, and called for their release.

7:10 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Breaking: CNN team arrested by Minnesota police on live television

CNN reporter Omar Jimenez.
CNN reporter Omar Jimenez. CNN

CNN journalist Omar Jimenez has been taken into police custody during a live broadcast at the site of the protests in Minneapolis, after clearly identifying himself to officers.

Jimenez's crew, including a producer and a camera operator, were also placed in handcuffs.

The CNN camera was also taken into custody and continued to record as the crew was handcuffed, with police seemingly unaware that the camera was still on.

Watch the video here:

6:04 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Chaotic scenes as police clash with protesters in Minneapolis

From CNN’s Omar Jimenez in Minneapolis

Dramatic scenes have unfolded in Minneapolis after the police arrived on the scene and clashed with protesters. It was the first time authorities had been seen on the scene in more than an hour.

The police officers, some in riot gear, immediately launched into action, using pepper spray and batons to disperse crowds near the police station. Police were seen shoving at least one person, while protesters responded by throwing projectiles at the officers as others fled the site.

Watch:

5:44 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Breaking: Police, fire engines arrive at Minneapolis protests

Police and fire engines have arrived at the epicenter of the protests in Minneapolis, where a number of buildings have been burning.

CNN crew on the site witnessed the authorities arriving to the scene just after 4:30 a.m. ET.

5:51 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

It's 4:30 a.m. in Minneapolis. Fires are still burning and protesters are still in the streets 

From CNN’s Omar Jimenez and Bill Kirkos in Minneapolis

A large number of protesters are still out early this morning in Minneapolis and a number of buildings are on fire.

Hundreds of people are still protesting near the Minneapolis police building in the 3rd Precinct.

At least five other buildings in the vicinity of the station are in flames. One of the burning structures that has now been destroyed by the fire was an events space with a multiple restaurants about a block away from the police station. A liquor store across the street from the station has also been burned down.

 

5:48 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Minnesota National Guard deployed soldiers last night

The Minnesota National Guard tweeted late last night that they had activated more than 500 soldiers to St. Paul, Minneapolis and surrounding communities. 

When asked about the National Guard, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said “many of the National Guard as I mentioned were stationed and are being stationed at locations to help prevent some of the looting that we’ve seen.” 

Some of the locations where the National Guard is being positioned include banks, grocery stores and pharmacies. 

5:51 a.m. ET, May 29, 2020

Just joining us? Here are the latest developments on the George Floyd case

People stand outside the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct in Minnesota after fires were set at the building during protests on May 28.
People stand outside the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct in Minnesota after fires were set at the building during protests on May 28. Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune/AP

Protests spread across the United States for the third night in a row on Thursday, as crowds demonstrated against police brutality and called for justice in the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after pleading for help as a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes while pinning him to the ground. Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital soon after, according to authorities.

Here's a look at the biggest developments:

  • Minnesota protests: Floyd died in Minneapolis, which saw large-scale protests on Thursday. Crowds numbering in the thousands set fire to a police precinct, which had been evacuated earlier in the day. In nearby St. Paul, protesters and police faced off with tear gas. More than 170 businesses were damaged or looted, according to police, and the Minnesota National Guard was mobilized to both cities.
  • Nationwide outrage: It wasn't just Minnesota; protesters took to the streets in Denver, Colorado; New York City; Memphis, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; and Columbus, Ohio.
  • Trump and Twitter: President Donald Trump tweeted about the Minnesota protests, saying "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Twitter has since flagged the tweet as violating the platform's rules and "glorifying violence."
  • Investigation into the death: Local and federal officials have not announced any charges against the officers involved in Floyd's death, but said the investigation is a top priority. All four officers have invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination.
  • Federal call for action: The House Judiciary Committee urged the Justice Department to investigate, saying the federal government has a critical role to play in promoting a culture of accountability for all law enforcement organizations.
  • The officer who knelt on Floyd's neck: The officer, Derek Chauvin, had 18 prior complaints filed against him with the Minneapolis Police Department's Internal Affairs. It's unclear what these complaints were for.