Rioters blocked a fire truck from responding to a burning home early Sunday morning in Richmond, according to Richmond Police Chief Will Smith.
“Protesters intentionally set a fire to an occupied building on Broad Street. This is not the only occupied building that has been set fire to over the last two days. But they prohibited us from getting on scene,” Smith said. “We had to force our way to make a clear path for the fire department. Protestors intercepted that fire apparatus several blocks away with vehicles and blocked that fire department’s access to the structure fire. Inside that home was a child.” Smith’s voice filled with emotion as he recounted the event during a Sunday morning press conference.
“Officers were able to help those people out of the house. We were able to get the fire department there safely,” he said before pausing to regain his composure.
WTVR-TV CBS 6 Richmond
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Multiple businesses in Richmond were set on fire, damaged and looted during overnight protests that turned violent.
The damage was still being assessed Sunday morning, but businesses that experienced broken windows and looting include the CVS on Broad and Arthur Ashe and the ABC store on Broad, where people were spotted stealing bottles of alcohol. A massive fire and police response were called to the Rite Aid on the corner of Belvedere and Broad around 3:30 a.m. It took crews nearly two hours to get under control, and officials say there are large amounts of damage inside the building. Protesters have been calling for justice in the officer shooting death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck.
WWBT-TV NBC 12 Richmond
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Fredericksburg authorities are investigating an incident early Sunday in which someone described only as an unknown male set two small fires near the front entrance of the city police department.
City police spokeswoman Sarah Kirkpatrick said the incident took place about 12:35 a.m. at police headquarters at 2200 Cowan Blvd. The male poured a flammable liquid in the area of the front entrance and started two small fires before running off toward the nearby Commons at Cowan Boulevard apartment complex, police said. City firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fires, Kirkpatrick said. No one was injured, but there was damage to the sidewalk and the police department's Fallen Officer memorial.
Fredericksburg.com
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First responders from multiple agencies throughout three counties rescued three people stranded by separate incidents along the James River on Sunday afternoon.
According to Big Island Emergency Crew, rescue units were dispatched to the area of Balcony Falls along the James River at 3:39 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, after which swiftwater resources were recommended from various agencies in Amherst County, Bedford County, and Rockbridge County.
Amherst Fire Department says the initial dispatch reported a possible drowning with CPR in process. According to Bedford County Special Operations Command, first responders removed three people from the river, one of whom was in critical condition and transported to Lynchburg General Hospital.
Unfortunately, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) told WFXR News Sunday evening the hospitalized victim was later pronounced dead.
WFXR-TV Fox 27 Roanoke
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James City County is considering putting plans for a new fire station on hold as it cuts its capital improvement program in response to a loss of funding caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
Fire Station 6 is one of a raft of projects that County Administrator Scott Stevens is proposing to delay in the 2020 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and beyond. The project would cost $9.64 million, including the costs of design, planning, and permitting for the new station on county-owned land adjacent to the Law Enforcement Center on Opportunity Way.
Stevens presented a report that recommended splitting the 2020 capital improvements program into red, yellow, and green projects at the May 26 Board of Supervisors work session. He said the red list that includes Fire Station 6 are “projects we can delay until we feel better, whether that’s six months, nine months, some period of time.”
Virginia Gazette
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