LANCASTER (AP) — A police officer fatally shot a Black man during a domestic disturbance call, prompting street protests that led to vandalism in Pennsylvania.
Police posted the officer’s body camera video on social media, showing the man chasing the officer down a sidewalk with a knife before he was fatally shot, and eventually used tear gas early Monday to disperse the crowds.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Lancaster following the shooting death of Ricardo Munoz, 27, on Sunday afternoon. The crowd formed outside the police station, where the department stated multiple buildings and government vehicles were damaged by demonstrators.
The body camera video posted by police late Sunday showed the officer fire several shots while running away from Munoz, who then falls to the ground.
The officer was placed on administrative leave, according to local news outlets.
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office was leading the investigation. District Attorney Heather Adams acknowledged the protests in a news release late Sunday and called for calm.
“We ask that acts of protest remain peaceful as violence and destruction of property will become headlines and serve no purpose for the safety and wellbeing of our citizens and neighborhoods,” Adams stated.
As for the use of “chemical munitions” against protesters early Monday, the police department said in a statement that the crowd was given several warnings to disperse before the gas was deployed.
The crowd “failed to follow the instructions,” police stated, adding that items including glass bottles, gallon jugs filled with liquid, parts of plastic road barricades and more had been thrown at officers.
