Downtown Protesters Disrupted Police Radio Communications, Source Says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Protesters in downtown Chicago on Saturday were able to disrupt police communications so as to prevent police from responding properly, a source said.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reported protesters put police radio frequencies on the internet, and when police attempted to talk to each other, they heard music. That was one reason the property damage and violence was so sporadic, the source said.
Tucker also asked the source why the unrest was so severe compared with any past protest in recent memory. The answer was that police seemed to have much more control and a plan on other occasions.
The source said with a recent change in administration, some of the institutional knowledge is gone. There was more of a plan before, and a lot more attention to details, but that did not happen this time, the source said.
Meanwhile, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit the Police Department hard. Police officers are switching shifts and are tired and overworked, so all that together makes for a perfect storm.
On Saturday night, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a curfew in Chicago from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.
Floyd was handcuffed when he begged for air as a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck.
On Saturday in downtown Chicago, protesters looted stores, set fire to squad cars, and scuffled with officers before the mayor announced the curfew.