More than 700 officers injured in George Floyd protests across US
WASHINGTON DC June 10 2020 — More than 700 law enforcement officers have been injured on the job during nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd — with nearly 300 of those among New York’s Finest, according to the Department of Justice and the NYPD
Since mass unrest over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody first broke out on May 27, approximately 700 federal, state and local law enforcement officers have sustained injuries in clashes with demonstrators, according to Justice Department data.
During violent protests in Washington, DC, another 60 Secret Service agents and 40 US Park Police were also injured — 22 of those officers hospitalized with serious injuries, Attorney General William Barr told reporters last week.
In New York, a total of 292 members of the force have been hurt during the demonstrations, with one officer struck by a car amid looting in the Bronx released from the hospital Sunday, according to the NYPD.
At least 150 federal buildings have also been damaged across the country, according to Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service.
President Trump has faced intense scrutiny over his handling of the crisis, telling governors they need to “dominate” the streets and threatening to send National Guard troops to states rocked by once-in-a-generation unrest.
In Washington, authorities were also criticized for using smoke canisters and pepper balls to clear protesters gathered in Lafayette Park so Trump could stand outside St. John’s Episcopal Church with a Bible.
But defenders of the president credited him and his decision to bring federal troops into Washington with the fact that enormous protests over this weekend were peaceful.
“The streets of America didn’t spontaneously become peaceful last week,” said Alyssa Farah, the White House’s director of strategic communications.
“It was a direct result of President Trump calling on governors and mayors to surge the National Guard in their states and restore law and order on America’s streets so that peaceful protesters could demonstrate safely,” she continued.
The president said Sunday he was withdrawing the nearly 4,000 National Guard troops brought to DC to quell the looting, arson and violent clashes that rocked the streets of the nation’s capital at the end of May.
“Juxtapose Washington, D.C. two weekends ago, when there was widespread vandalism, property damage, and arson with this past weekend — it was night and day,” Farah said.
“That is precisely because President Trump took decisive action to secure the streets of our nation’s capital and restore law and order,” she added.
More than 100,000 people marched in Washington on Saturday, the largest turnout yet, to protest the death of Floyd, who was killed when a white police officer kneeled on the black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
