Lancaster Police in Pennsylvania have arrested 12 people in connection with rioting that began after the police shooting death of a 27-year-old man, Ricardo Munoz, who video shows chased after and attacked an officer with a large knife.
According to Lancaster Police, protests escalated as suspects threw items at police officers as well as caused damage to the police station, a parked vehicle and the front of the U.S. Post Office building. Downtown business owners reported damage from vandalism to their businesses.
Officers used chemical munitions in efforts to disperse the rioters as the suspects piled street signs, trash cans, a metal dumpster, a metal bike rack, pieces of plywood and a wooden pallet. Suspects filled the dumpster with trash bags, and wood, and set it on fire.
Charges include: Criminal Conspiracy for Arson, Riot, Institutional Vandalism, Failure to Disperse, Obstructing Highways and Other Public Passages, Disorderly Conduct and Defiant Trespass.
Here are the arrest details and photos of those arrested:
Kathryn Patterson, Mercersburg
Talia Gessner, York, PA
Frank Gaston
Barry Jones, York, PA
Jamal Shariff Newman
Yoshua Dwayne Montagu
Matthew Modderman
A live stream of the protesting can be seen here.
Body Camera Video of the Shooting of Ricardo Munoz
The body camera footage shows that as the responding officer approaches the front of the residence in the 300 block of Laurel Street, Ricardo Munoz immediately emerges from inside and chases after the officer, brandishing a knife above his head, in a threatening manner. The officer then fired, fatally striking Munoz.
According to a Lancaster Police press release,
On September 13, 2020, at approximately 4:13 PM, Lancaster County-Wide Communications received a 911 call for a domestic in the 300 block of Laurel Street in Lancaster City. The caller related that her brother was reportedly becoming aggressive with his mother and was attempting to break into her house. Several officers from the Lancaster City Bureau of Police responded to the call and the first officer arrived at 4:24 pm.
The first officer on the scene walked to the front of the residence and made contact with a woman, who was identified as a family member. A male subject then exited the front door of the residence and began chasing the officer. Preliminary information and body worn camera footage indicates that the male subject had a knife in his right hand as he was chasing the officer. The officer fired several shots from his firearm, striking the subject.
The subject, identified as 27 year old Lancaster man, did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was the only police officer on the scene at the time of the shooting and his body worn camera was activated and recorded the encounter. Additional officers arrived a short time later.
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