Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct sacrificed to rioters five years ago

Today, the Third Precinct building remains fenced off and is now named the "Minneapolis Democracy Center."

By
Hayley Feland
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Third Precinct
Liz Collin/Alpha News

The Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct building was sacrificed to rioters five years ago, a decision that marked a turning point in the city’s descent into chaos and left the building a burned-out shell that remains in disrepair today.

On May 28, 2020, three days after George Floyd’s death in police custody, the MPD evacuated the Third Precinct as violent riots out front and in the city intensified. Rioters overran the site and set it ablaze, accelerating the unrest in Minneapolis.

“I remember standing outside the third precinct when it burned, knowing this was the most revolutionary thing that I have ever witnessed,” one person posted on X on the five year anniversary. “There are four more to go.”

Over the days following Floyd’s death, looters ravaged Lake Street and other areas of Minneapolis. More than 1,500 Minneapolis businesses were damaged or destroyed in what became one of the most expensive civil disturbances in U.S. history, with costs surpassing $500 million.

Many blamed poor leadership at both the city and state levels for allowing the riots to go unchecked for days. A Minneapolis city report, conducted after the violence, cited confusion, lack of command structure, and a delayed response as key failures.

“Specifically, some felt that the Mayor’s Office showed no leadership and was ‘rudderless.’ Some indicated that the Mayor, Governor and MPD Chief were notably absent when people felt they should have been present,” the report said.

Hope Walz, Gov. Tim Walz’s daughter, added fuel to that criticism when she posted on X the night the Third Precinct was abandoned: “The guard WILL NOT be present tonight.” She continued, “The guard cannot be sent in within minutes … to be clear, the national guard will not be present tonight.” Many interpreted her posts as a signal to rioters that they could continue unchecked.

Another video, shared by Dustin Grage, highlights a disabled woman whose only grocery store was destroyed by looters. “I have nowhere to go now,” she said through tears.

The morning after the Third Precinct was handed over to the mob, graffiti left on the vandalized Lake Street Cub Foods read simply: “This Sh*t Fun.” The video of Cub Foods shows the building utterly destroyed.

Alpha News senior reporter Liz Collin also posted images of state troopers who were forced to sleep on the ground in the State Capitol during the riots.

Today, the Third Precinct building remains fenced off and is now named the “Minneapolis Democracy Center.”

“We’re working on a new use for the building at 3000 Minnehaha Ave,” the city’s website states. The Third Precinct is being relocated to 2633 Minnehaha Ave. where it will exist within the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center.

 

Hayley Feland

Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.

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