A pro-Trayvon Martin "march" in San Bernardino, Calif., on Thursday night turned violent when protesters assaulted a civilian, police officers and a police horse. The so-called protesters were rallying against the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial.
San Bernardino police described the incident with protesters as "civil unrest," the Press-Enterprise reports.
Credit: AP
Police received multiple reports of the "protesters" committing vandalism around 8:45 p.m. When officers arrived on the scene, about 120 protesters who were gathered in a restaurant parking lot began throwing rocks and bottles at them and passing vehicles "without provocation," according to a news release.
When police ordered the protesters to disperse, most of the demonstrators left. The ones who refused to disperse, about 50 people, reportedly moved behind a cinder block wall and continued throwing rocks an debris.
Police later discovered a victim had been physically assaulted. Following a "lengthy foot chase," investigators arrested 22-year-old parolee Byron Thomas in connection with the assault.
By the end of the night, 11 people were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, battery, assaulting a police horse, assaulting a peace officer and vandalism.
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