Around 40 people were arrested Sunday night after a group of demonstrators broke curfew while protesting the death of George Floyd outside the County-City building, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Terry Wagner says the arrests started at around 8:45 Sunday night after demonstrators refused multiple warnings by law-enforcement agents to leave the area.
“You could see at about that time vehicles pulling up across the street and they obviously weren’t protestors,” said Wagner. “They were here to do battle.”
Wagner says a number of demonstrators were witnessed filling their pockets full of water bottles and had disguised themselves to appear as though they were first-aid providers.
“They were preparing for a riot, not a protest.”
Wagner adds that rumors that water bottles thrown by demonstrators at law enforcement contained urine or gasoline have not been confirmed.
He calls the days violence during the weekend unprecedented.
“I’ve been in this business for 44 years and have not seen this level of violence toward police officers or toward our government facilities.”