National Guard presence in Brooklyn Center after a fatal police shooting and protests

Overnight protests turned violent with several businesses vandalized and looted

Cleanup crews and a significant National Guard presence are at the scene of overnight looting in Brooklyn Center after a fatal police shooting.

Around 2:00p.m. Sunday, police shot a man during a traffic stop. The man who was shot is identified as Daunte Wright. Officers found out that the Wright had an outstanding warrant and attempted to flee the scene. An officer fired their gun and struck the driver. The driver was able to drive for several blocks before hitting another car.

The officer-involved shooting sparked outrage and protests around the scene. Some protests quickly turned violent as police cars were damaged at the scene.

Much of the damage is limited to smaller strip malls on the perimeter of Shingle Creek Center.

National Guard troops have armored vehicles parked at the entrances to the main area of the shopping center. Troops are stopping every vehicle, allowing those going to work into the parking lot. Others who have no business there are turned around and sent away.

Smaller stores on the perimeter of Shingle Creek Crossing, had windows and doors smashed with money and items stolen from inside.

Red lives in the neighborhood, just down the street from where the looting took place. He tells WCCO’s Al Schoch, “They do it all the time. We've been doing this for hundreds of years. They got to be punished for what they're doing. It’s un-American Brother, to be killing their own citizens. That's not their job.”

Dawn Soh owns a Hair Plus Wig store in the shingle Creek Crossing Center. She told Al Schoch what she witnessed Sunday night.

“Last night I just came here about 9:00, 9:50, and everybody was trying to get into my store and then taking things out from the store and then run away everywhere,” Soh told WCCO.  “I was disappointed in myself I couldn't go to the traffic and stop them. But there's a lot of guns, guns shooting sound around, you know, like behind the like Walmart area.”

This was Soh’s third store. The other two were damaged during last year's unrest. Soh called the situation “very, very bad.”

Featured Image Photo Credit: (Entercom / Al Schoch)