SUV rams 4th Precinct gate, 2 arrested for Jamar Clark vandalism

Minneapolis police arrested 2 people after they were caught vandalizing the walls of the 4th Precinct overnight. Behind the tents of demonstrators is a wall spray-painted with the name of Jamar Clark, along with profanity directed at Minneapolis police.

Also overnight, an SUV that attempted to drive through the fence at the precinct overnight, where protesters and outraged community members have been gathered since the shooting of Jamar Clark on Sunday, Nov. 15. 

The overnight incidents followed a relatively calm day of demonstrations Thursday, with no real violence or clashes with police. Rep. Keith Ellison flew in from Washington to join hundreds of demonstrators who braved the cold to protest the police-involved shooting of Jamar Clark.

“The message is one that it is fair righteous and just to let your voice be heard,” Ellison said. “The First Amendment says Americans have the right to address grievances of their government, so this is our constitutional right to be here.”

Shooting just blocks away

Despite the calls for peace, a 5-year-old boy and 40-year-old man were shot Thursday afternoon in an apartment just a block next to where Jamar Clark died, adding more tension to a community already on edge

The national president of the NAACP will be in Minneapolis on Friday, with a vigil planned for 4 p.m.

Police union: Jamar Clark grabbed officer’s gun

While the investigation continues, the president of the police union is saying Jamar Clark grabbed an officer’s gun, leading to the deadly shooting.

“The officers arrived, he was not compliant with the verbal commands,” Lt. Bob Kroll said. “Officers went to restrain him. He chose to struggle and fight. At one point, he got a hold of an officer’s gun belt and gun. It was in the holster and he had physical control of the hand grip.

Witnesses say Clark was handcuffed when he was shot, but police insist that he was not. Protests started just hours after the shooting and have continued for nearly a week now.

EDITOR'S NOTE - A previous version of this story stated that officers fired shots at the vehicle that attempted to ram the 4th Precinct's gate. Minneapolis police insist no shots were fired -- not even marking rounds.