Huge Blazes Rip Through Baltimore, Stores Looted, Police Attacked, 15 Police Injured, Violence Rages
A state of
emergency has been declared in Baltimore as the city transforms into 'an
absolute war zone' following the funeral of Freddie Gray.
More
than 1,000 Maryland police officers, the Maryland National Guard, and
5,000 officers from neighboring states are arriving in the city and the
president has been briefed on the situation as violence continues to
escalate.
But
even as the governor of Maryland pledged the highest level of support
available, police continued to be pelted with rocks well into the night.
Fifteen
police officers have been injured, many with broken bones, and at least
one appeared ‘unresponsive’. Two of the 15 are in hospital in a serious
condition.
As
the sun set, flames erupted from a new $16 million nursing home built
by a baptist church on the more affluent east side of Baltimore, which
has now been burned to rubble. It was due to open in November this year
after eight years of construction. Just two blocks away, a housing
development was also ablaze. Officials warned the two fires could be a
distraction to pull law enforcement away from other locations.
Rioters
are looting gun stores, ripping off the doors and passing weapons to
people on the streets. Others have stormed check cashing stores, liquor
stores and supermarkets. Buildings, including a CVS pharmacy, are on
fire. Rioters have slashed fire fighters' hoses as they try to battle
the flames.
Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake branded the rioters 'senseless thugs' in a
press conference as she announced a week-long 10pm-5am curfew for all
citizens starting tomorrow night.
By
nightfall, groups appeared to be moving toward more affluent areas near
Camden Yards stadium, prompting tonight's White Sox v Orioles game to
be suspended. College students have been told to stay in their doors and
be alert to possible attacks.
Freddie Gray died of a severe spinal injury in police custody on April 12.
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State of emergency: Baltimore is in
flames and the Maryland National Guard is on standby as riots escalate
after Freddie Gray's funeral
Devastating: This is the scene of a
fire which burned down a $16 million nursing home which a baptist church
spent eight years building
Pastors hit out at the rioters as the
night sky burned orange from the flames of the building which would have
housed 60 elderly people
Aerial video: As the sun set, flames erupted from the new senior center built by a baptist church on the more affluent east side
Two fires: Just two blocks away from the senior center, a housing development was also ablaze on Monday night
Prayers and tears: Members of the
baptist church congregation that built the nursing home unite in prayer
by the burning wreckage
Fire fight: A Baltimore police cruiser
burns after being set alight on Monday following the outbreak of riots
in the troubled city
Police van ablaze: Television images
showed mobs of rioters jumping on top of a police car, destroying a taxi
and setting two other patrol cars on fire after teenaged crowds ignored
calls to disperse and clashed with lines of hundreds of police
A man has his eyes cleaned after he was pepper sprayed by the Baltimore Police as violence escalates in the Maryland capital
Smoke billows from a CVS Pharmacy store in Baltimore on Monday evening after looters raided the store and set it alight
Fire hose slashed: As fire fighters tried to extinguish the flames in the CVS store, rioters slashed the hose
More than 1,000 police officers and the Maryland National Guard have arrived in the city as violence escalates
Eleven police officers have been injured, many with broken bones, and at least one appeared ‘unresponsive’
A police officer is carried to safety after being hit in the head with a rock at the Mondawmin Mall
