George Floyd protests: No more National Guard troops for now, Georgia governor says

Protests and demonstrations have led to violence in at least 30 cities across the United States in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Floyd, 46, died after he was detained for questioning regarding a possible forgery in progress. Video of his death caught by bystanders showed a Minneapolis police officer, identified as Derek Chauvin, holding his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than five minutes as Floyd pleaded for air, sparking outrage.

As of Tuesday morning, at least 40 cities across 16 states have imposed curfews.

Live updates for Tuesday, June 2 continue below:

No more National Guard troops for now, Georgia governor says

Update 11:45 p.m. EDT June 2: Georgia’s governor warned Tuesday that he would “do whatever is necessary” to prevent more violence following protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, but he ruled out calling up more National Guard troops or law enforcement officials for now.

Gov. Brian Kemp said he understood why people were upset, citing the coronavirus pandemic and “sky high” unemployment in addition to Floyd’s death. But he condemned the widespread vandalism and looting that broke out in Atlanta after a peaceful demonstration on Friday.

Kemp has authorized up to 3,000 National Guard troops to be deployed to cities across the state, and sent state police to reinforce law enforcement in Atlanta. The city has been calmer since the weekend, with only sporadic violence.

Late Tuesday, hundreds of protesters lingered on the streets of downtown Atlanta ahead of another 9 p.m. curfew imposed by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Authorities used armored vehicles to form a cordon at the state Capitol nearby.

Bottoms has implemented an identical curfew every night starting Saturday. As the curfew took effect, police and National Guard troops moved in, firing tear gas. The crowd quickly dispersed, and television footage showed police leading some people away in zip ties.

“If those people that are unruly out there think that we will lay down and we will quit, you are in the wrong state,” Kemp said at a news conference earlier in the day.

Nearly 400 people have been arrested in Atlanta during protests over the previous four days, according to numbers released by police. Demonstrations have also been held in other Georgia cities, including Savannah, Athens, Augusta, Macon and Columbus.

Thousands on New York City streets after curfew

Update 10:30 p.m. EDT June 2: Thousands of demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd remained on New York City streets on Tuesday after an 8 p.m. curfew put in place by officials struggling to stanch destruction and growing complaints that the nation’s biggest city was reeling out of control night after night.

Mayor Bill de Blasio had doubled down on a citywide curfew, moving it up from 11 p.m. a night earlier, but rejected urging from President Donald Trump and an offer from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to bring in the National Guard.

Protests had resumed Tuesday during the day over the death of Floyd, a black man who died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

People marched in groups of thousands in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, as merchants boarded up their businesses. As the the curfew time arrived, many were still in the streets and continued marching, with officers initially standing by and allowing them.

But officers started ordering people to move along, and began taking people into custody. Demonstrators who had been on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan were herded off, with parts of the roadway blocked off behind them.

“Something has to break, and it’s not going to be us,” said Evan Kutcher, one of hundreds of demonstrators who stood outside the Barclays Center chanting Floyd’s name Tuesday evening. “We’re here because something needs to change.

Mother of Floyd’s daughter laments his loss

Update 8 p.m. EDT June 2: The mother of George Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, said Tuesday that she wanted the world to know that her little girl lost a good father who would never get to see his daughter grow up.

“I want everybody to know that this is what those officers took. At the end of the day, they get to go home and be with their families,” Roxie Washington said during a Minneapolis news conference with her young daughter at her side. “I’m here for my baby and I’m here for George because I want justice for him. I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.”

Floyd died on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the black man’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

Thousands turn out for latest police protest in Boston

Update 7 p.m. EDT June 2: Thousands of people turned out Tuesday in Boston for another evening to protest police brutality against black people, chanting and waving signs that read “STOP KILLING US” and “White Silence = White Consent.”

A racially diverse crowd of demonstrators staged a “die-in” on a major city thoroughfare before marching across Franklin Park. The event, which was organized by the Boston chapter of Black Lives Matter as well as Violence in Boston Inc., was also expected to include a candlelight vigil.

Protesters knelt and sat in the street during the “die-in” on Blue Hill Avenue in the city’s diverse Dorchester neighborhood for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto George Floyd’s neck, leading to his death last week.

Statement by President George W. Bush

Update 4:45 p.m. EDT June 2: Former President George W. Bush issued heartfelt statement Tuesday on George Floyd and civil unrest across the country:

Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country. Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures – and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.

It remains a shocking failure that many African Americans, especially young African American men, are harassed and threatened in their own country. It is a strength when protesters, protected by responsible law enforcement, march for a better future. This tragedy — in a long series of similar tragedies — raises a long overdue question: How do we end systemic racism in our society? The only way to see ourselves in a true light is to listen to the voices of so many who are hurting and grieving. Those who set out to silence those voices do not understand the meaning of America — or how it becomes a better place.

America’s greatest challenge has long been to unite people of very different backgrounds into a single nation of justice and opportunity. The doctrine and habits of racial superiority, which once nearly split our country, still threaten our Union. The answers to American problems are found by living up to American ideals — to the fundamental truth that all human beings are created equal and endowed by God with certain rights. We have often underestimated how radical that quest really is, and how our cherished principles challenge systems of intended or assumed injustice. The heroes of America — from Frederick Douglass, to Harriet Tubman, to Abraham Lincoln, to Martin Luther King, Jr. — are heroes of unity. Their calling has never been for the fainthearted. They often revealed the nation’s disturbing bigotry and exploitation — stains on our character sometimes difficult for the American majority to examine. We can only see the reality of America’s need by seeing it through the eyes of the threatened, oppressed, and disenfranchised.

That is exactly where we now stand. Many doubt the justice of our country, and with good reason. Black people see the repeated violation of their rights without an urgent and adequate response from American institutions. We know that lasting justice will only come by peaceful means. Looting is not liberation, and destruction is not progress. But we also know that lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice. The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.

This will require a consistent, courageous, and creative effort. We serve our neighbors best when we try to understand their experience. We love our neighbors as ourselves when we treat them as equals, in both protection and compassion. There is a better way — the way of empathy, and shared commitment, and bold action, and a peace rooted in justice. I am confident that together, Americans will choose the better way.”

Minnesota Department of Human Rights files civil rights charge against Minneapolis police

Update 3:45 p.m. EDT June 2: The Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Tuesday filed a civil rights charge against the Minneapolis Police Department, Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday.

The agency launched an investigation into the police department’s “policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years to determine if they engaged in system discriminatory practices,” Walz said.

Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather to pay for George Floyd’s funeral

Update 2:55 p.m. EDT June 2: Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. will pay the funeral expenses for George Floyd after reaching out to the 46-year-old’s family, Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, told ESPN.

“He’ll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, (Mayweather) is definitely paying for the funeral,” Ellerbe told the sports network on Monday. “(Mayweather) has done these kind of things over the last 20 years.”

Curfew enacted for 3rd night in Los Angeles County

Update 2:50 p.m. EDT June 2: Officials in Los Angeles County, California, announced Tuesday that a countywide curfew will continue Tuesday for a third night amid protests of police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.

Officials said the curfew will begin Tuesday at 6 p.m. and last until 6 a.m. Wednesday. People who plan to vote in special elections Tuesday were exempt from the measure. Authorities said some areas might set stricter local measures.

Officials in Santa Monica, which is in Los Angeles County, announced Tuesday that people in the city will be under a curfew beginning at 2 p.m.

Demonstrators return to Lafayette Park one day after authorities used tear gas to clear protesters

Update 2:45 p.m. EDT June 2: Demonstrators returned Tuesday to Lafayette Park, across from the White House, one day after peaceful protesters were moved from the park with tear gas.

Protesters lay on their stomachs with their hands behind their backs while chanting phrases like, “Don’t shoot,” and “I can’t breathe,” according to USA Today.

The Kennedy Center to dim lights for 9 nights in honor of George Floyd

Update 2:20 p.m. EDT June 2: Officials with The Kennedy Center, one of the nation’s premier performing arts centers, announced that they will dim the Center’s lights for nine nights beginning Tuesday in honor for George Floyd.

Each night is meant to represent one of the nine minutes that authorities said then-Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin spent with his knee pressed to George Floyd’s neck before the 46-year-old’s death on May 25.

“Ours is an expression of America’s grief and our solidarity with our Black audiences, artists, colleagues, and community,” officials with the Center said in a statement.

“Black lives matter. Black voices matter. Black culture matters. Black stories matter. We pledge that more of them will be heard on the stages of the nation’s cultural center, as we continue in our ongoing effort to reflect the entire nation through the performing arts and within our organization."

Washington DC mayor announces 7 p.m. curfew

Update 2:15 p.m. EDT June 2: Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Tuesday that a 7 p.m. curfew enacted Monday in an attempt to keep peaceful protests from devolving into riots will continue for a second night.

“What we observed last night was protesters largely complying with the curfew, and we’re going to implore them to comply with the curfew again,” she said. “That means you’re off the street at 7 p.m. and it’s very important that everybody complies with the curfew.”

People who have been deemed essential workers and people who are voting are exempt from the curfew, Bowser said.

Police Chief Peter Newsham said authorities arrested 300 people during Monday’s protests in Washington, most for violating the city’s curfew.

About 300 people arrested during protests in Washington DC

Update 2 p.m. EDT June 2: Authorities in Washington D.C. arrested about 300 people during protests Monday in the capitol, most for violating the city’s 7 p.m. curfew, police Chief Peter Newsham said Tuesday.

Arrests were also made for burglary and rioting, Newsham said during a news conference.

“We are working right now with our investigative team to compile images of anyone who was in our city over the past three or four nights who was involved in destruction of property or the throwing of missiles and the hurting of people,” he said.

Law enforcement officers in the Carolinas stand in solidarity with protesters

Update 1:20 p.m. EDT June 2: Law enforcement officials in North Carolina and South Carolina joined demonstrators Monday who took to the streets Monday to protest police brutality and the killing of George Floyd, WSOC-TV reported.

In Columbia, South Carolina, Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan decided to march side-by-side with protesters. Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin also walked alongside demonstrators, according to WSOC-TV.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, there was a touching moment as police were seen kneeling in solidarity with protesters.

>> Read more on WSOCTV.com

9 officers and 2 protesters injured, 20 arrested during protests in Pittsburgh

Update 12:55 p.m. EDT June 2: Nine police officers and two protesters were injured Monday during demonstrations in Pittsburgh, according WPXI.

Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said the injured officers were evaluated and released from the hospital Monday, WPXI reported. Two protesters were also taken to the hospital with injuries that they said came from bean bags, according to the news station.

Hissrich said 20 people were arrested Monday, including four people who are not from Pennsylvania, WPXI reported.

>> Read more on WPXI.com

Virginia governor rejects national guard request

Update 12:35 p.m. EDT June 2: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam rejected a request from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to send between 3,000 to 5,000 of the state’s national guard to Washington D.C. as part of a massive show of force organized by the Trump administration in response to violent protests, according to Northam’s chief of staff, Clark Mercer.

Mercer said Trump’s comments to governors in a phone call Monday, in which the president said most governors were “weak” and needed to “dominate” the streets, played a role in the decision.

“The president’s remarks to the governors heightened our concerns about how the guard would be used,” he said.

6 Atlanta police officers charged with using excessive force during arrest of college students

Update 12:15 p.m. EDT June 2: The district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, on Tuesday charged six Atlanta police officers with using excessive force following the arrest of two college students during protests Saturday night, WSB-TV reported.

Body camera footage and video posted on social media showed officers use Tasers on two students, Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim, as they sat in a car Saturday before the officers dragged the pair out of the car and arrested them, according to WSB-TV.

Four officers involved in the incident were charged with aggravated assault. Other charges filed against the officers include criminal damage to property and aggravated battery, according to WSB-TV.

>> Read more on WSBTV.com

Archdiocese of Washington criticizes St. John Paul II National Shrine for allowing Trump visit

Update 11:55 a.m. EDT June 2: As President Donald Trump headed Tuesday to the St. John Paul II National Shrine, the archdiocese of Washington on issued a statement criticizing the facility for allowing the president’s visit.

In the statement, Archbishop Wilton Gregory said he found it “baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree.”

His comments came after police under federal command deployed tear gas Monday to push back protesters who had gathered in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, where they were chanting against police brutality and Floyd’s death.

“Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings. His legacy bears vivid witness to that truth,” Gregory said. “He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace.”

New York City mayor extends curfew through end of week

Update 11:40 a.m. EDT June 2: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that an 8 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew enacted amid protests of the killing of George Floyd will continue through the end of the week.

“I am extending the curfew,” de Blasio said Tuesday after chaos broke out late Monday in midtown Manhattan and the Bronx. “We’re going to have a tough few days. We’re going to beat it back.”

On Monday, an 11 p.m. curfew -- the city’s first in decades -- failed to prevent destruction as groups of people smashed their way into shops, including Macy’s flagship Manhattan store.

Police said nearly 700 people were arrested and several officers were injured during the chaos Monday night and early Tuesday.

Minnesota AG: ‘There is nobody who has culpability who will not be held accountable’

Update 11:30 a.m. EDT June 2: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Tuesday that the investigation into the killing of George Floyd is continuing with “nothing off the table.”

“We’re moving expeditiously, yet we have to move carefully,” he said during an appearance Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

He acknowledged that the pace of the investigation has frustrated some people considering many “have waited too long and been too patient over the years,” but he said that “this case must be done methodically and we are doing that right now.”

Investigators are looking into whether to charge the other three officers who were with then-Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin on May 25 when he held his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as the 46-year-old pleaded for air. On Tuesday, Ellison declined to outline a timeline for charging decisions.

“There is nobody who has culpability who will not be held accountable,” Ellison said on “Good Morning America.” He said he expects charges will be filed “very soon.”

Biden blasts Trump over clearing protesters for church photo

Update 10:55 a.m. EDT June 2: Joining widespread condemnation from Democrats, former Vice President Joe Biden blasted President Donald Trump on Tuesday for having police clear demonstrators from Lafayette Park in front of the White House on Monday so that the President could walk to a nearby church where he was photographed holding a Bible.

"The President held up the Bible at St. John's Church yesterday," Biden said in a speech in Philadelphia. "I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something."

“In addition to the Bible, the President might want to open the Constitution once in a while,” Biden added.

Biden urges Congress to act on police reform: ‘No more excuses, no more delays’

Update 10:50 a.m. EDT June 2: Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Congress to take action on police reform and vowed to “reverse the systemic racism” if he is elected as president.

Biden said that with the upcoming election in November, “We’re in the battle for the soul of this nation.”

“We can’t leave this moment thinking that we can once again turn away and do nothing. We can’t do that this time," he said. “The moment has come for our nation to deal with systemic racism, to deal with the growing economic inequity that exists in our nation, to deal with the denial of the promise of this nation made to so many.”

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take action on the issues highlighted by protests nationwide sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

“No more excuses, no more delays,” Biden said. “If Mitch McConnell can bring in the United States Senate to determine Trump’s unqualified judicial nominees who will run roughshod over our Constitution now, it is time to pass legislation that will bring true meaning to our constitutional promise of equal protection under the law.”

Trump praises response to DC protests after tear gas used to disperse peaceful protesters

Update 10:30 a.m. EDT June 2: President Donald Trump praised the response to protests Monday in Washington D.C. amid criticism over the decision to use tear gas on peaceful demonstrators gathered near the White House.

“D.C. had no problems last night,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination.”

He also praised himself for the lack of violence during protests in Minneapolis. Earlier in the day, George Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, encouraged demonstrators in the city to remain peaceful, saying that destruction was “not going to bring my brother back at all.”

Police under federal command deployed tear gas Monday to push back protesters who had gathered in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, where they were chanting against police brutality and Floyd’s death.

The sudden shift in tactics against the protesters was initially a mystery, according to The Associated Press. Then, after finishing his Rose Garden remarks, Trump emerged from the White House gates and walked through the park to St. John’s Church, where an office had been set on fire the previous night.

Trump, who rarely attends church, held up a Bible and gathered a group of advisers — all white — to pose for photos.

The moment was quickly decried by Trump's critics, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying the president “used the military to push out a peaceful protest so he could have a photo op at a church."

“It’s all just a reality TV show for this president," he said on Twitter. “Shameful.”

Police apologize for ‘unwarranted’ tear gas deployment on protesters in Virginia

Update 10:10 a.m. EDT June 2: Police in Richmond, Virginia, apologized Monday after authorities used tear gas to disperse a peaceful protest against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

In a statement posted on Twitter, police said Chief William Smith reviewed video of the situation Monday, which he called “unwarranted.”

“These officers have been pulled from the field,” police said. “They will be disciplined because their actions were out side (department) protocols and directions given.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported police used the gas on demonstrators gathered at a statue of Robert E. Lee on Monday, about 30 minutes before the city’s 8 p.m. curfew went into effect. Video posted on social media showed protesters running as smoke and shouts filled the air.

Music industry goes silent on social media for ‘Blackout Tuesday’ to protest George Floyd’s killing

Update 9 a.m. EDT June 2: Members of the music industry have pledged to go silent Tuesday on social media to protest George Floyd’s death in an event dubbed “Blackout Tuesday."

Music labels and Warner Music Group, Sony Music and Universal Music Group pledged to stay silent, Rolling Stone reported. Their flagship labels also will take part, as will Def Jam Recordings, Interscope and Columbia Records, CNN reported.

Television networks, sports teams and celebrities have also joined the protest.

Denver police arrest man suspected of driving car into officers during weekend protest

Update 7:36 a.m. EDT June 2: Denver police have arrested a man they believe drove his vehicle into three fellow officers during Saturday night protests.

Anthony Knapp, 37, was arrested Sunday after the officers suffered serious injuries.

According to CNN, Knapp is being held for first-degree assault and attempted first-degree assault.

According to the police department’s Statement of Probable Cause, officers were in full uniform standing next to a fully marked Denver Police vehicle when a dark sedan traveling at a "high rate of speed swerved toward the officers and, as a result, struck three of the officers with the car,” the network reported.

Rep. Seth Moulton implores military to ‘lay down your arms’ if ordered to face protesters

Update 6:36 a.m. EDT June 2: Rep. Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran, is calling upon military members to “lay down your arms” if ordered by the U.S. government to confront protesters in cities across the country.

The Massachusetts Democrat took to Twitter shortly after President Donald Trump vowed Monday night to deploy active-duty forces on American soil to quell nationwide protests since the death of George Floyd while in police custody.

“We must therefore, with every ounce of conviction, every commitment to peace, and every glimmer of hope, join in lawful protest to overcome (Trump’s) tyranny. And if he chooses to abuse the military as a tyrant would do — to stifle dissent, suppress freedom, & cement inequality — then I call on all our proud young men & women in uniform, as a veteran & a patriot, to lay down your arms, uphold your oath, & join this new march for freedom,” Moulton tweeted.

Moulton joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2001, served four tours in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star.

See the full Twitter thread here.

NY state senator pepper sprayed, handcuffed at peaceful Monday protest, he says

Update 6:06 a.m. EDT June 2: New York state Sen. Zellnor Myrie told CNN he had been protesting peacefully when police handcuffed and pepper sprayed him late Monday.

“I am from Brooklyn. I happen to represent a huge swath of central Brooklyn, and when I heard there was a group of folks protesting police brutality I decided to make my way down,” Myrie told the network.

Willing to offer his services as liaison between protesters and police, Myrie said he identified himself to authorities upon arriving, but none of that mattered once things escalated.

“As I was obeying orders, they were telling us to back up, I was backing up. Trying to protect some of the protesters behind me. Being compliant. I started getting hit in my back by bicycles wielded by the police officers. I was pushed. I was shoved. Ultimately pepper-sprayed, and subsequently handcuffed. Simply because I was there to forcefully protest,” he told CNN, adding, “Had I not had the luxury of my title, I would have been in the system and processed, much like any of the other protesters."

Hit-and-run driver strikes NYPD sergeant

Update 5:30 a.m. EDT June 2: A sergeant with the New York Police Department is in serious but stable condition Tuesday morning after being struck by a black sedan that sped away, CNN reported.

NYPD Detective Adam Navarro told the network the sergeant was responding to a break-in at a Bronx pawn shop when the vehicular assault occurred.

NYPD Lt. Thomas Antonetti told CNN the sergeant has suffered leg and head injuries.

Indianapolis protesters, police hug, march together; BLM calls foul

Update 5:03 a.m. EDT June 2: Hundreds of demonstrators squared off briefly with police in Indianapolis near the Indiana governor’s mansion after Monday night before finding common ground and marching forward together, The Washington Post reported.

Although officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department did, at one point, fire a pepper-spray projectile toward the protesters in an attempt to disperse the crowd for violating the city’s 8 p.m. curfew, the standoff deescalated when protesters began introducing themselves to the officers, the Post reported.

Within a short period, the crowd and officers began walking toward downtown, with some law enforcement personnel hugging and linking arms with demonstrators.

Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter Indianapolis took exception to the display, offering its own analysis of the exchange via Twitter.

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather to pay for George Floyd’s funeral

Update 4:42 a.m. EDT June 2: Funeral arrangements for George Floyd in Houston will be handled by boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, ESPN reported.

Family attorney Ben Crump confirmed to CNN that Floyd’s funeral is scheduled for June 9. Mayweather’s involvement was confirmed by Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Productions.

“He’ll probably get mad at me for saying that, but yes, (Mayweather) is definitely paying for the funeral,” Ellerbe told ESPN in an emailed response.

Las Vegas officer shot, 2nd involved in separate shooting as unrest envelops city

Update 4:29 a.m. EDT June 2: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed one officer has been shot in the area of the Strip and another has been involved in a shooting in the downtown area, The Associated Press reported.

The department said both shootings occurred on Las Vegas Boulevard. The condition of neither officer has been reported.

4 St. Louis police officers shot

Update 3:18 a.m. EDT June 2: St. Louis police confirmed four of their own were shot early Tuesday morning after peaceful protests ended and social unrest escalated.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, most of the peaceable protesters dispersed on their own, but police did fire tear gas into the remaining crowd just before 9 p.m. Within one hour, looting and pillaging began with at least one 7-Eleven set ablaze and raided, while heavy gunfire rang through downtown after midnight, the newspaper reported.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden, during an early-morning news conference, said two officers were shot in the leg, one was shot in the arm and one was shot in the foot.

Minnesota officials: No evidence tanker driver plowed into protesters intentionally

Update 2:26 a.m. EDT June 2: Bogdan Vechirko was arrested Monday and charged with assault for driving his tanker truck toward protesters in Minneapolis Sunday.

By early Tuesday morning, however, Minnesota investigators walked back the initial belief that Vechirko purposefully incited a crowd of peaceful demonstrators.

“We don’t have any information that makes this seem like this was an intentional act,” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington told CNN. “He saw the crowd, and from what it looked like, panicked.”

According to jail records, Vechirko remains in police custody without bail.

US military helicopter buzzes downtown DC protesters

Published 2 a.m. EDT June 2: A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter flew just above rooftops in a downtown Washington D.C. neighborhood Monday night, employing a military tactic typically reserved for combat zones, The Washington Post reported.

The helicopter flew just above rooftop level, snapping branches off trees and shattering some storefront window, the Post reported, noting the low-flying maneuver is normally performed to scare off insurgents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group