Mpls Officials Call Roving July 4 Fireworks Fights Reckless, Callous
Fox 9, July 5, 2022
During the late hours of the Fourth of July and into the early morning hours of July 5, Minneapolis residents began posting videos to social media showing groups of young people in downtown Minneapolis shooting fireworks into buildings, at police cars and at each other.
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“It was like a war zone. I mean, everything was lit up. There was smoke billowing from everywhere,” said Bruce, who asked that we not use his last name, told FOX 9.
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Utter mayhem in #MplsDowntown.
Went on for HOURS without response. pic.twitter.com/To8xuvscH1— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) July 5, 2022
Bruce said he started hearing fireworks on the street around 10 p.m. on July 4 and called 911 several times, but operators told him police were already on the scene when he couldn’t see any officers from his apartment window, which overlooks the intersection. He says about two hours passed before he finally saw a patrol car – then someone in the crowd on the street shot fireworks at it.
“These guys were firing their fireworks right at the car. And there was a series of four police cars and they were firing at those four,” Bruce said.
When the police came, the crowd would take out cell phones to film officers, who pleaded with them to go home, Bruce said. As soon as the officers left, the group started shooting fireworks again.
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Unsanctioned fireworks displays happened near the Stone Arch Bridge, Gold Medal Park and Mill District resulting in more than 1,300 calls were made to 911. Typically, that number of calls would come in a 24-hour span.
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“This reckless and callous disregard for our city puts a damper on a weekend that should otherwise be celebrated. This is conduct that should not be acceptable in any city… the violence, recklessness and idiotic behavior we saw shouldn’t be, and won’t be tolerated,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. {snip}
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Frey noted that the city would be strategizing ways to “both hold perpetrators accountable and respond in a timely nature,” saying that In the future the city would be hiring a new commissioner of the Office of Public Safety to help bring on a more “comprehensive approach.”
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