BLM protester, white diner get into armed standoff at restaurant in viral video
The Black Lives Matter group was marching in Louisville, Kentucky of Breonna Taylor and police claim "during the encounter both patrons and protesters brandished firearms."
A standoff occurred between a Black Lives Matter protestor and a restaurant patron.
Protestors were marching in Louisville, Kentucky on May 1 when weapons were drawn. Police ultimately arrested some of the protestors, per The Hill.
The Black Lives Matter group was marching towards Churchill Downs in support of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old woman who was killed by police in March 2020. They came across an outdoor restaurant, La Chasse, and in a video that has now gone viral, a stand-off between two white men on opposing sides drew their guns.
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“For those who have asked, yes this man appeared to be armed, as were a few protesters. It was a tense few minutes. #Louisville,” read a tweet by Enterprise writer for the Courier Journal, Hayes Gardner.
According to police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley: “During the encounter both patrons and protesters brandished firearms. This incident occurred after the arrests of southbound protesters in the area on the 1500 block of Bardstown Road. The arrests of that group were made after protesters repeatedly blocked the roadway despite officers giving multiple verbal requests for them to utilize the sidewalk,” per Post Millennial.
Protestors were encouraging both sides to withdraw their weapons.
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“Multiple armed protesters entered the restaurant property, which included outdoor dining space,” said a restaurant employee.
No one was injured but the BLM ally and five other people were arrested for failing to follow signs which instructed them to walk on the sidewalk. One person was charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, though bearing arms is legal in Kentucky.
The incident comes after it was announced that an investigation into the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government and the Louisville Police Department has been launched almost a year after Taylor’s death.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the investigation on April 26 into the Louisville Police Department and that it “will assess all types of force used by LMPD officers, including use of force on individuals with behavioral health disabilities or individuals engaged in activities protected by the First Amendment. The investigation will assess whether LMPD engages in discriminatory policing, and also whether it conducts unreasonable stops, searches, seizures, and arrests, both during patrol activities and in obtaining and executing search warrants for private homes. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of LMPD policies, training, and supervision, as well as LMPD’s systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline, ” per a press release.
According to Fox News, about 15% of police officers left after Taylor’s death. It was also discovered that police resignations and retirements were at a five-year high after her death.
“There are approximately 18,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in this country. In each one, dedicated officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect others,” Garland said in the press release. “Promoting public trust between communities and law enforcement is essential to making both communities and policing safer. Our enforcement efforts, as well as our grant-making and other support, will contribute to achieving that end and to protecting the civil rights of everyone in our country.”
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