MINNEAPOLIS — Dozens of people were arrested in Dinkytown Thursday night during a chaotic scene that saw people setting off fireworks in the streets.
Videos taken at the scene captured the chaos that unfolded, as youths shot fireworks at other people, streets and cars. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference Friday afternoon that no one was seriously injured.
“The vast majority are not actually involved in shooting fireworks at people, but they are part of the problem because they appear in response to social media and they provide an audience for this kind of thing to continue,” O’Hara said.
“It is ridiculous that our residents and others who visit our city have to deal with such outrageous behavior,” O’Hara said. “That’s why our response to law enforcement has been different this year.”
Minneapolis police had more than 200 additional officers. Officers from Ramsey County, Minneapolis Park Police, University of Minnesota Police and the State Patrol were also on duty throughout the city.
Minneapolis police say they made 30 arrests and issued five citations overnight.
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“Those numbers are likely to increase,” O’Hara said. “There are several different agencies involved in this operation and reports continue to come in.”
Among those arrested and fined, 27 were adults and eight were minors. Their ages range from mid-teens to early twenties.
O’Hara said that, like last year, a number of people involved were from outside the city of Minneapolis.
“Twenty-eight of these individuals are from outside of Minneapolis,” O’Hara said. “Five of them aren’t even from Minnesota. They’re from Kansas, Massachusetts and two are from Maine.”
“I was on the sixth floor, so it’s pretty scary to see fireworks going up that high,” said Ben Lefebvre, who watched the chaos from an apartment window. “One of them got a little too close to the window. And again, those mortar rounds shook the building. They’re big. They look like grenades.”
Charges are being considered and will likely involve rioting. O’Hara said the individuals who threw mortar rounds will also be charged with assault.
Nighttime closures of parks and public spaces will continue this weekend.
Ahead of the July 4 holiday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said he there would be a stronger police presenceand said if anyone threatens the safety or property of others, officers will take action.
