he Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis was set ablaze Thursday night as violent protests continued in the city -- and other cities across the U.S. -- following Monday's death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in police custody.
In response, more than 500 members of the National Guard were heading to the Twin Cities region, called in by Gov. Tim Walz, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported.
Rioters broke into the precinct around 10 p.m. local time, after police on the rooftop previously tried to disperse a gathering crowd using "flash bang" shots and tear gas, according to reports.
The rioters entered the building and sparked the fire after police officers on the roof were rescued by helicopter, reports said.
A short time later, city officials warned the rioters that the risk of an explosion existed at the site because of unconfirmed reports that gas lines may have been cut, FOX 9 of the Twin Cities reported.
