George Floyd protesters unleash fury, Trump threatens military action

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Demonstrators gather Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, the black man who died in police custody broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A protester gestures in front of the burning 3rd Precinct building of the Minneapolis Police Department on Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A St. Paul police officer, second from left, armed with a non-lethal paintball-style weapon, faces off with a protester, second from right, in front of the Target store near the intersection of University Avenue West and Hamline Avenue North, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
St. Paul police officers aim non-lethal weapons into a crowd near University Avenue West Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
A man uses a fire extinguisher to break the rear window of a St. Paul police vehicle as another person takes items from the interior near the intersection of University Avenue West and Hamline Avenue North, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
A man breaks a window at the Furniture Barn store on University Avenue West, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
The sun set over the Twin Cities as smoke hovers over St. Paul, Minn., along University Avenue, Thursday, May 28, 2020. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
Firefighters battle flames at a business along University Avenue as riot officers police the street, Thursday, May 28, 2020 in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
Seen from Hiawatha Avenue, a large fire burns Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis during a third night of unrest following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody Monday. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)
Protesters stand outside the Government Center to support CAIR-Minnesota to call for the arrest of the police who killed George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, Thursday, May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
Smoke rises from fires as seen from University Avenue on Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Anger over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man in police custody, spread beyond Minneapolis on Thursday, with looting and fires set along a major St. Paul street and protesters returning to a neighborhood already ravaged by violent protest. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
A protester used milk to mitigate tear gas as buildings near the Midway were either damaged or set on fire Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
Police take control of the area near the Super Target against protesters Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
A person meditates near the Minneapolis police 3rd Precinct on Thursday, May 28, 2020, the third day of protests over the Monday death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS — Cheering protesters torched a Minneapolis police station Thursday that the department was forced to abandon as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.

A police spokesman confirmed late Thursday that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, “in the interest of the safety of our personnel” shortly after 10 p.m. Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.

Protesters could be seen setting fire to a Minneapolis Police Department jacket and cheering.

Late Thursday, President Donald Trump blasted the “total lack of leadership” in Minneapolis. “Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he said on Twitter.