52 booked for probable cause riot after Brooklyn Center protests on Friday

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - At least 52 people were booked late Friday night into early Saturday morning on probable cause riot charges at the Hennepin County Jail while 136 in total were arrested, as the sixth night of protests turned violent in Brooklyn Center.

The arrest came as a crowd numbering in the hundreds gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protests the police shooting of Daunte Wright. Wright was killed following a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center when an arresting officer apparently mistook her firearm for her Taser.

Of the people booked, nearly all have listed addresses in the Twin Cities while only one had a Brooklyn Center listed address. Four were from out-of-state, with three listed addresses from Wisconsin and one from Alabama.

While all 52 were arrested overnight, as police swooped in to arrest protesters, it's unclear if all were involved in the protests in Brooklyn Center.

The arrests were made after law enforcement officials say some members of the crowd tried to breach fencing put up around the police department. Officials from Operation Safety Net, the law enforcement collective in Minnesota created to prevent widespread rioting during the Chauvin trial, said they initially intended to follow the strategy they had on Thursday -- keeping a distance from the protests.

Thursday, there were no reported arrests after protests, which ended peacefully and without police intervention.

Friday night, however, was a different story. Police say a small group of agitators within the crowd attempted to breach the security fence, quickly resulting in officers using pepper spray, flashbangs, and other less-lethal tactics.

Shortly after, police issued several dispersal orders before pushing the crowd away from the police department and making arrests.

More protests are planned on Saturday, the seventh night straight since the death of Wright.