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Violence Escalated During Many Of The Nationwide Riots Over George Floyd’s Death. Here Are Some Of The Worst Examples

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Editor’s note: We endeavor to bring you the most complete news coverage possible. Here is an article showing acts of heroism from other protesters.

During the week-long riots across the country over the death of George Floyd, videos and reports have emerged of both police and protesters becoming increasingly violent. These are some examples of the worst behavior from both groups.

Protesters block firefighters attempting to save a small child 

Firefighters were attempting to save a small child from a burning building and were blocked by protesters in Richmond Sunday, according to an NBC 12 report

A family and small child were inside a multi-family residence when it was set on fire by rioters. When a fire truck came to save the child and put out the blaze, it was blocked by protesters, the police chief said. 

The firefighters were eventually able to make it to the scene and save the family and child. 

Rioters face charges for throwing Molotov Cocktails at police cruisers 

Three individuals, including two lawyers, were arrested for setting NYPD police vehicles on fire using Molotov cocktails. (RELATED: Beating Up An Old Man, Assaulting Journalists, And Ramming Protesters With Cars: Police Violence During Protests Caught On Video)

The two lawyers were arrested around 1:00 A.M. Saturday morning when officers saw the crime and chased them down, according to the New York Daily News. Police found materials to make the Molotov Cocktails in the individuals’ car. 

In a separate incident, a woman was arrested after video footage was given to police that showed her throwing the inflammatory device at a police car that was occupied by four officers. The officers escaped the vehicle unharmed, according to a FOX 5 New York report. 

All three are facing federal charges and could face up to 20 years in prison according to a DOJ press release. 

Police push down an elderly man standing alone in the street

A video posted Saturday shows police officers in Salt Lake City, Utah, knocking down an elderly man with a cane who was standing alone in the street.

The incident occurred as swat teams arrived to break up protesters that had gathered on the street. Police helped the man up after pushing him over. The elderly man was standing alone and did not appear to be participating in the protests. 

NYPD police run down protesters in the street 

An NYPD cruiser was seen in a video that was posted Saturday driving through a crowd of protesters. 

The video has garnered over 31 million views. The cruiser is parked behind a barricade as protesters throw traffic cones, bottles, and other objects at it. The driver then accelerates through the crowd of people, stopping after hitting a group of demonstrators. 

A man then appears to jump on the car and the video cuts off.

Black firefighter spent his life savings on a bar that was burned down by protesters 

Korboi Balla, a black firefighter in Minneapolis, spent his life savings to open up a sports bar. He was finally getting ready to open the bar after coronavirus lockdowns began to relax, but the building was destroyed because of rioters and looters. 

“It hurts, man. It’s not fair,” Balla told CBS news “It’s not right. We’ve been working so hard for this place. It’s not just for me, it’s for my family.”

A GoFundMe page was set up Thursday to help Balla rebuild his bar and save the work he had put in. It has raised over $987,000 so far.

College Football Hall of Fame destroyed in Atlanta 

A video posted Saturday shows the College Football Hall of Fame destroyed by the riots Friday night. The video has been viewed over 3.5 million times and shows the outside glass shattered and the entire inside of the building completely destroyed. 

St. Louis police officers shot during riots 

Several police officers who were working during the riots in St. Louis Monday night were shot and taken to the hospital, according to a KMOV 4 report

The four officers sustained non-life threatening injuries and were released from the hospital Tuesday, according to the report. 

“They were standing near a line and all of a sudden they felt pain. They were just standing there. So some coward fired shots at officers and now we have four in the hospital… and thank God they’re alive,” Police Chief John Hayden said. 

Nobody has been arrested for the shooting, the report says.