Protest in Lincoln turns violent as crowd clashes with police

LINCOLN, Neb (KOLN) On a night when anger was boiling over in cities around the Country, it appeared it was going to be a quiet night in Lincoln.

But in the early morning hours of Saturday, a protest in Lincoln started peacefully before some in the crowd attacked police vehicles and looted a convenience store near 25th and O street.

A crowd of protesters gathered near 27th and O streets in Lincoln around 1:00 AM Saturday morning, protesting on the sidewalks, and eventually blocking traffic on O Street, with chants of "black lives matter" and "hands up, don't shoot".

The crowd eventually moved to the intersection of 25th and O Street, where there was a medical call for a pedestrian who had suffered minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle. At the nearby EZ-Go convenience store, our crews witnessed several people breaking windows and looting the store. Tear gas was used by police to disperse the crowd. Some protesters threw fireworks at police. 1011 News crews on scene saw several arrests being made.

In the hours that followed, our crews witnessed several people throw objects through the window of a nearby Metro PCS store.

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeiser spoke to the media as the crowds dispersed shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Bliemeister said that there have been arrests made as a result of the protest, but that the number of people who committed crimes was small compared to the large group that gathered to protest peacefully.

He also said that there have been injuries to officers.

However, he did not provide additional information on the number of arrests or the extent of the injuries to officers.

Multiple agencies were brought in to assist, including the Nebraska State Patrol and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, Bliemeister said.

The protest was one of many across the country this week, after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck while Floyd said he couldn't breathe.

On Friday Lincoln Police released the following statement:

The Lincoln Police Department wishes to extend its deepest condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd. This incident has fractured not only the relationship between Minneapolis residents and their police department, but potentially every police-community relationship in the country.

 

Chief Bliemeister has reviewed the available video of the Minneapolis police officers involved in this incident. Notably, the tactics witnessed in the video are in direct contrast to our use of control training and policies.

But more importantly, the actions of those officers violate our oath to protect, serve, and uphold the dignity of all residents. Our policies demand that our officers intervene when they witness another employee violating our procedures and values, including violations of our use of control tactics.

Police misconduct—especially that which results in injury or death—is the greatest threat to the public’s trust in the police. The policing profession cannot exist without community partnerships, and community partnerships cannot exist without? mutual respect, dignity, and dialogue, involving members of a community. We believe police departments must take the first step in establishing a respectful and collaborative relationship with their communities.

Our department will continue to work tirelessly to maintain and improve our relationship with the Lincoln community, and in particular, our communities of color. Fair and impartial policing is the driving principle that guides our decisions on hiring, training, supervising, and holding officers accountable for their actions. It is also the principle that guides our decisions involving policing strategies and use of control tactics.

The Lincoln Police Department is committed to serving every member of our community. We will strive to ensure that dignity and respect define every interaction between our police officers and our community members, even during incidents involving use of control and arrest.