Amid the violent protests that erupted after the death of African-American George Floyd, rioters injured several officers that were trying to control the rampage. Protesters also looted some business establishments burned others to the ground.
Front lines
In Jacksonville, one deputy was either stabbed or slashed in the neck amid the confusion when a peaceful protest suddenly turned violent, said Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams to reporters on Saturday night and added that the victim is currently recovering at a hospital.
"He was out here doing his job when he was attacked," said Williams, and believes that a non-resident of the town is the culprit of the heinous murder attempt, as reported by Fox News.
There were several other deputies that protesters injured when they threw rocks and bricks at the officials. The rioters also vandalized official vehicles, setting them ablaze, and breaking their windows, said Williams.
According to Local10 News, the sheriff also stated that the protest started with about 1,200 people and after approximately 6:30 p.m., the majority of the crowd left, of which about 200 trouble makers stayed in downtown Jacksonville.
Violent protesters also took hold of Tampa where they injured at least two officers deployed at the University of Square Mall that were dispatched to respond to reports of vandalism and looting in the area.
Williams said that they will not be tolerating the actions and will keep their city from being burned to the ground.
Chad Chronister, Sheriff of the Hillsborough County, tweeted that protesters threw a hard object that hit a deputy in the head while they injured a second deputy with a firework that hit his helmet. Chronister added that the two officers were quickly brought to the hospital to be treated, and there has since been no update regarding their conditions.
The sheriff added that the actions the protesters were taking in order to express their frustration has caused so much devastation and destruction for their community.
Also Read: CNN Reporter, Crew Arrested on Air While Covering Minneapolis Protests Over George Floyd Murder
Catastrophic scenes
The sheriff's office has shared several photographs that revealed the damage that the protests and its members have caused to the stores which include shattered windows and a video where a Champ's Sports store nearby was burned.
The violent rioters also set a gas station on fire, placing all nearby infrastructures and personnel at risk of an explosion, as reported by Fox13 Tampa.
Police officers of Tampa had to escort the firefighters into the area due to the number of looting incidents nearby, which the state marshall has now started to investigate.
At one point during the protest, deputies had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to try to stop the crowd from getting too violent inside the malls.
"Tonight was one of the most tragic horrific nights you could ever imagine," said protester Mirielle Valdez. She added that the sight of people coming in and destroying things instead of trying to placed them back together and trying to call out the apparent lack of justice for the victims.
Valdez said that the events would lead to police seeing them as simple looters and thugs, when they are actually fighting for justice and what is right.
