Peaceful Protests Transition To Vandalism, Looting: Santa Rosa PD

SANTA ROSA, CA —The city of Santa Rosa has declared a local state of emergency and called for a citywide curfew following two nights of peaceful protests that turned destructive. The curfew begins Monday at 8 p.m. and runs nightly through Wednesday, ending at 5 a.m. Thursday.

What started as peaceful gatherings Saturday and Sunday in Santa Rosa honoring the life of Minneapolis man George Floyd and protesting police brutality in the United States, transitioned to destruction in the city's downtown area, according to the Santa Rosa Police Department.

After looting and vandalism took place Saturday night in Santa Rosa — as it did in many communities across the country and around the Bay Area — demonstrators gathered around 5 p.m. Sunday at the Old Courthouse Square to again express their stance on the May 25 death of George Floyd.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died while being arrested by Minneapolis police. Video from the scene shows Floyd face down on the ground and a Minneapolis police officer with his knee on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd can be heard saying "I can't breathe." That officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, and many have called for the arrest of three other officers at the scene of Floyd's death.

In Santa Rosa, people began to assemble around 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Old Courthouse Square. Police officers responded and monitored the crowd. But around 9 p.m. when most of the peaceful protesters had left, Santa Rosa police say some 150 people who remained descended into vandalism, property destruction and violence — in "violation of 409 PC riot, unlawful assembly."

Saturday, several people blocked U.S. Highway 101 and vandalized businesses, civic property and public art, police said. Several people threw fireworks, rocks and glass bottles at officers, according to SRPD.

Santa Rosa police requested and received assistance from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, Cloverdale Police Department, Santa Rosa Junior College Police Department, Petaluma Police Department, Healdsburg Police Department, the Sebastopol Police Department, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and the Napa Police Department.

For several hours Saturday into early Sunday, "officers formed skirmish lines and drove back the protestors, using batons, 40-mm projectiles, and CS gas," Santa Rosa police Lt. Jeneane Kucker said.

Eventually, at 3 a.m. Sunday, the protesters dispersed and the allied agencies were released, Kucker said.

Police said several downtown businesses were vandalized with broken windows and graffiti Saturday night into Sunday morning, and both the Santa Rosa Police Department and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office were vandalized with spray paint.

Three people were arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of failure to obey a lawful order to disperse (rioting). Santa Rosa police identified those arrested as: Kaitlin Arnold, 31, of Cotati; Joseph Willis, 32, of Santa Rosa; and Jacob Beckman, 45, of Petaluma.

Sunday's crowd at the Old Santa Rosa Courthouse grew to some 300 people, police said. Around 8 p.m. Sunday, some of those people began blocking the intersection of Third Street and Santa Rosa Avenue, and several people used spray paint to tag the street and objects at the Old Courthouse Square, police said.

At 9 p.m. Sunday, a crowd of protesters began to walk westbound on Third Street, toward the off- and on-ramps to U.S. 101 Highway.

"Protesters engaged with officers, but remained peaceful and did not get onto the freeway," Kucker said. "Eventually, a few protesters began throwing water bottles at officers, who were blocking the off-ramp to northbound Highway 101."

At 11:20 p.m., more than 100 people walked onto A Street, behind the Downtown Plaza Mall.

Several of those people broke windows on businesses and went inside with the intent to loot businesses, but with the help of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, people were "quickly removed" from businesses and away from the Plaza Mall, Kucker said.

While the looting was taking place, another group began a sideshow in the intersection of Fourth Street and Mendocino Avenue, police said.

Physical fights also broke out began different sets of protesters.

"Based on the looting, vandalism, violence and sideshows, officers on the scene gave numerous orders to disperse because the gathering became unlawful," Kucker said.

At 11:53 p.m. Sunday, Santa Rosa police officers, along with those from law enforcement agencies throughout the North Bay and the Bay Area— including from the Sonoma, Napa and Marin county sheriff's offices and California Highway Patrol's Santa Rosa and Golden Gate divisions —began dispersing people from the crowd.

During the dispersal, which took about two hours, people threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at officers, according to SRPD.

One arrest was made for looting at the downtown Plaza Mall, and thousands of dollars of damage were done to city property and numerous businesses, according to SRPD.

"The Santa Rosa Police Department is committed to protecting its community, citizen’s right to assemble & protest, and our officers in the field," Kucker said. "It is our hope that any future protests will be peaceful to allow all citizen’s the opportunity to have their voice heard, in a safe space."

After the tumultuous weekend, Santa Rosa police, including the city's police Chief Rainer Navarro, were pictured kneeling for solidarity Monday during a youth protest in downtown Santa Rosa.

Here is the city's statement regarding the curfew:

"The City of Santa Rosa has declared a local state of emergency due to the incidents of violence and vandalism that occurred over the weekend in Santa Rosa. To keep our community safe, City Manager Sean McGlynn, in consultation with Police Chief Rainer Navarro, has implemented a citywide curfew effective Monday, June 1, 2020, at 8 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each evening until Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 5:00 a.m.This mandatory curfew requires people within the City of Santa Rosa to stay home from 8:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.

"Those exempt from the curfew are first responders, essential city service employees, people seeking medical attention, credentialed media, and persons who are experiencing homelessness who remain sheltered in place in a single location.

"To further facilitate safe assembly in the downtown area, specific intersections and streets will be closed to vehicular traffic as of 6:00 p.m. this evening, June 1. These road closures include: Santa Rosa Avenue at 1st Street, 3rd Street at B Street, 3rd Street at D Street, E Street at 4th Street, 5th Street at D Street, Mendocino Avenue at 5th Street, and Santa Rosa Plaza at B Street. Again, the curfew is meant to keep our community safe, so please stay home. Peaceful protests need to end before 8:00 p.m. Your voluntary compliance is greatly appreciated.For more information about the emergency declaration and the curfew order, please visit srcity.org/emergency."

ALSO SEE:

• Protesters Nearly Hit By Truck At Old Santa Rosa Courthouse: SRPD
• 'We Are With You': Napa Police During George Floyd Demonstration