Officials: 8 People Arrested For Arsons During Protests Outside Lancaster Police Station Following Deadly Police-Involved Shooting
LANCASTER, Pa. (CBS/AP) - Officials say eight people were arrested following a night of unrest in Lancaster after an officer shot and killed man while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Lancaster following the shooting death of 27-year-old Ricardo Munoz on Sunday afternoon.
The crowd formed outside the police station. The police department said multiple buildings and government vehicles were damaged by demonstrators.
The suspects were reportedly setting fires by piling street signs, trash cans, a metal dumpster, metal bike rack, pieces of plywood and a wooden pallet outside the police station, at the intersection of N. Prince and W. Chestnut Streets, around 3 a.m.
Officials say the suspects also filled the dumpster with additional trash bags and wood before setting the contents on fire.
Officers deployed tear gas on people in efforts to disperse them.
Eight people were arrested in relation to the arson which occurred outside of the police station.
Four of the eight suspects are from outside of Lancaster County. Two suspects were armed with handguns during the protest and riot, police said.
Ricardo Munoz was fatally shot after coming out of a home and chasing the officer with a knife, police said. Body camera video showed the officer fire several shots at Munoz, who then falls to the ground.
The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office released bodycam footage of the incident on Sunday night. Warning, the video is graphic and may be disturbing to some.
"The footage shows that when the officer gets in front of a residence in the 300 block of Laurel Street, Munoz immediately emerges from inside and runs toward the officer, brandishing a knife above his head, in clear view, in a threatening manner. The officer then fired," the DA's Office said.
Officials said no one else was struck by gunfire.
The officer was placed on administrative leave.
The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office was leading the investigation. District Attorney Heather Adams acknowledged the protests in a news release late Sunday and called for calm.
"We ask that acts of protest remain peaceful as violence and destruction of property will become headlines and serve no purpose for the safety and wellbeing of our citizens and neighborhoods," Adams stated.
As for the use of "chemical munitions" against protesters early Monday, the police department said in a statement that the crowd was given several warnings to disperse before the gas was deployed.
The crowd "failed to follow the instructions," police stated, adding that items including glass bottles, gallon jugs filled with liquid, parts of plastic road barricades and more had been thrown at officers.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
