Baltimore, Maryland USA reeling after night of violent unrest

Story by NBC News
Written by Trymaine Lee and Anna Brand

Thousands of city police and National Guard troops maintained an uneasy peace across Baltimore on Tuesday as reinforcements were deployed across the city following a night of violent unrest that led Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency.

Thousands of schoolkids weren’t in public school as officers spread over the 80-square-mile area here, with many concerned about a repeat of Monday evening’s violence as a 10 p.m. city curfew loomed.

Peaceful protests honoring Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died of a severed spine that allegedly occurred while in police custody, went on for days before turning dangerous over the weekend – and then on Monday, when demonstrations became extremely violent.

There were more than 200 arrests, throughout a night filled with looting, destruction on the streets, and fires set to 144 vehicles and 15 buildings. Despite earlier reports, Baltimore PD spokesman Eric Kowalczyk said Tuesday that 20 officers were injured in the clashes, though he said he expects that number to rise. Police made 12 arrests – five juveniles and seven adults – Tuesday morning, according to Kowalczyk. Baltimore police are expected to hold hourly briefings into the evening.

The Baltimore Fire Department was responding to reports of a new fire Wednesday afternoon at a CVS pharmacy that was looted and set on fire a day earlier, according to NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez.

The Baltimore Orioles, whose Monday night game against the White Sox was canceled due to the unrest, announced that the team would face off against Chicago at 2:05 p.m. Wednesday in a game that would be closed to the public.

“It shocked a lot of people,” Gov. Hogan said of Monday’s violence at a news conference early Tuesday. “What started out as peaceful protests – and 95% of the people were peaceful and simply expressing their frustrations – shifted yesterday afternoon and evening to roving gangs of thugs whose only intent was to bring violence and destruction to the city.”

Read more: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/baltimore-night-violent-freddie-gray-protests