Police launched tear gas and smoke grenades early Wednesday morning to end a demonstration at Peninsula Town Center, the second protest in the city in a week decrying the death of George Floyd.
Hundreds of protesters kneeled on Tuesday night after marching up and down Mercury Boulevard for nearly an hour.
As they took a knee on the road just outside the shopping center around 10 p.m., protesters called for a Hampton police officer to kneel with them — he did — and the action was met with cheers.
The group split with some protester remaining in the Target parking lot talking with police and others moving to Interstate 64 to stop traffic. Both sides of the interstate were closed for nearly an hour.
Police later released several rounds of smoke grenades, tear gas and flash bangs in an attempt to clear the area in the Target parking lot after the group from the interstate returned and an unlawful assembly was declared around 11:38 p.m.
A police spokeswoman said Wednesday morning that a crowd “surrounded and confronted officers in the Target parking lot.”
“A demonstrator set off a homemade explosive device and shots were fired near the officers,” Cpl. Amanda Moreland wrote in a news release. “The group was then instructed to disperse; however, the crowd refused to comply and some began to throw glass bottles filled with feces and urine and other items at officers on the scene.”
As something was thrown from the crowd, a protester could be heard yelling, “Not now! We’ve been peaceful for two hours!”
No officers were injured, Moreland said. At least one protester was hurt during the night.
A woman was seen sitting on the ground in the parking lot bleeding from her chin. Protesters around her told the police to go away when they offered assistance, saying that police had caused her injury.
Several stores at Peninsula Town Center were vandalized or broken into, police said. Merchandise was also stolen from some of the shops.
Nexus, a clothing store located at the corner of Kilgore Avenue and McMenamin Street near where the protest started, had its door and a window smashed in, with a significant amount of merchandise stolen.
Owner Will Fattah stopped by the store to survey the damage Wednesday morning. He estimated about $60,000 worth of merchandise was gone.
“If I was here, I would have at least protected my store,” Fattah said.
A protester from Hampton, Raheem Talley, said that when protesters noticed people breaking glass, they tried to stop it.
“This is not what we’re doing tonight,” Talley said demonstrators told those destroying property.
Ten people — eight adults and two juveniles — were arrested during the night’s incidents and charged with trespassing. The investigation continues, with additional charges expected.
Three guns were recovered, police said.
“The situation resolved at approximately 1:08 a.m. when the remainder of the group dispersed,” the police said.
“They’re going to make it seem like we weren’t peaceful — like we were out here protesting in an angry way, but we weren’t,” Talley said. “We kneeled in front of these people.”
Talley said he was kneeling in front of police when he noticed an officer preparing to release tear gas. He said he asked the officer not to and the officer told him to move and then deployed it.
The protesters are part of a movement across the country calling for an end to police brutality against black Americans. They’re calling for justice after 46-year-old George Floyd, a black man, died as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
“Say his name!” a protester called as the group marched. “George Floyd!” the crowd responded.
They also echoed calls of “Black Lives Matter” and “No justice, no peace.”
Hampton police in patrol cars and on bicycles rode next to protesters to help with traffic control.
Several people from the Virginia Patriots Mutual Assistance group handed out water bottles to protesters as they finished marching. Some of the protesters were skeptical at first — people from the group were openly carrying firearms — but they said they were there to protect the protesters.
“I can’t help being white, and he can’t help being black. There’s a beauty in that — God made us that way,” said a man from the group who identified himself only as Derek. “We can work together for a common good. We both want peace.”
About three people from the mutual assistance group responded to help the injured protester.
Most stores and businesses in Peninsula Town Center escaped damage or vandalism.
Aside from Nexus, a few storefronts along Merchant Lane, including a Hampton police station, had some light spray paint on their windows.
Another clothing store also had a window smashed and merchandise stolen. And Moreland said the J.C. Penney’s store’s roll-up doors were damaged.
A display at All Star Sports was broken into and its mannequins and accompanying merchandise stolen, although most of the store appeared untouched.
There were coat hangers and shattered glass visible in the display Wednesday morning as workers started to clean up the damage.
The Hampton Police Division said the department “recognizes the attempt to exercise First Amendment Rights,” and credited officers for their conduct “during this challenging event.”
“A thorough investigation is underway to identify, apprehend, and prosecute the individuals that were involved in the vandalism and theft that occurred to our businesses during this event,” the police statement said.
“While the Hampton Police Division supports the right to peaceful protest, demonstrations that incite violence and mayhem cannot and will not be tolerated in our society and in particular, our City,” the statement added. “The Hampton Police Division remains committed to working with our citizens, community, and faith-based leaders to strengthen relationships, resolve social injustices, and to build trust through valued partnerships.”
Officers from the Virginia State Police, Newport News Police, Portsmouth Police and the Hampton Sherriff’s Office assisted in the effort.
Staffers Peter Dujardin and Matt Jones contributed to this report.
Jessica Nolte, 757-247-4513, jnolte@dailypress.com