Bernie Kerik urges political leaders to deescalate violent protests, calls on parents to 'get your kids home'
Former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik joins Bill Hemmer on 'America's News HQ.'
A man was shot and critically injured, and the headquarters of the Daughters of the Confederacy was set on fire during violent overnight protests in Richmond, Va.
Police said a man transported himself to a hospital around 1 a.m. Sunday with life-threatening injuries after he was shot while in a vehicle as he came into contact with a group of protesters, according to reports by NBC 12.
At 1:40 a.m., firefighters responded to two separate blazes -- at Rhoads Residence Hall at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Daughters of the Confederacy building.
Damage to both structures was limited to the exterior, the Richmond Fire Department said.
Police vehicles stretched for three blocks as fire crews worked to contain the blaze at the Confederacy building, according to the Richmond Dispatch-Times.
Graffiti could be seen on the headquarters' facade, aimed at police and "racists." The word “abolition” was written on the front steps.
Other Confederate monuments were also spray-painted during the protests.
A monument to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Va., is covered with graffiti on Sunday, May 31, 2020, after overnight protests over the death of George Floyd. Many of the city’s most prominent Confederate monuments were tagged with similar graffiti. (AP Photo/ Sarah Rankin)
A house was also set on fire in an incident involving three men and a woman. No injuries were reported. Further details were not immediately available.
The violent protests also impacted some local businesses, including a CVS pharmacy that had its glass windows and doors shattered. More graffiti was scrawled on the side of a Whole Foods Market.
After two nights of protests seeking justice for George Floyd-- an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis after a white officer kneeled on his neck for more than 8 minutes -- Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ordered an 8 p.m. curfew effective Sunday.
Gov. Ralph Northam approved the curfew for safety reasons but acknowledged the angst that has gripped the nation after Floyd's death.
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“I hear you. I know your pain is real. We have all seen too many people harassed, abused, and killed by law enforcement officers, in too many places, for too long -- just for being black. I also know that others are exploiting this pain and are now causing violence," Northam said in a statement.
