Minneapolis Mayor DEFENDS abandoning 3rd precinct in order to prevent 'hand-to-hand' combat between protesters and 'outnumbered' officers - as cops claim officials were 'content to let the city be overrun'
The Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct was evacuated late Thursday night, shortly before it was torched by rioters
Shocking images showed the building in flames after a mob stormed in with baseball bats and axes to destroy property and graffiti the walls
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says he and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo decided that evacuating the Precinct would 'deescalate the situation'
He also claims cops were outnumbered by angry protesters and an evacuation would prevent any 'hand-to-hand combat' between rioters and police
The burning of the 3rd Precinct came on the third night of demonstrations over the death of black man George Floyd
By Andrew Court For Dailymail.com
Published: 08:47 EDT, 30 May 2020 | Updated: 10:54 EDT, 30 May 2020
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city's 3rd Police Precinct was ordered to be evacuated late Thursday to avoid 'hand-to-hand combat' with rioters who later stormed the building and set it on fire.
In an interview with WCCO Friday, Frey claimed that he and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo also believed that vacating the building would 'deescalate the situation' and stop police from being 'overwhelmed'.
He also furiously denied claims from cops that he was 'content with letting the city be overrun'.
'We are a police force totaling over 800 officers with far, far less than that on active duty at a given time. Simply by the numbers, we were going to be overwhelmed. It's a matter of math, not planning,' Frey stated.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8372083/Minneapolis-Mayor-says-torched-3rd-Precinct-abandoned-prevent-hand-hand-combat.html
