South Carolina firefighters needed help from a police officer as demonstrators blocked traffic and lit a fire outside a police precinct late Wednesday.
Roughly 100 people had gathered at about 11 p.m. outside Rock Hill's police headquarters to protest an arrest earlier in the day of two Black men by police and the Department of Homeland Security, Yahoo News reports. A bystander's live-streaming video of the 15-minute incident showed the officers in scuffling with the men, who are brothers, during a traffic stop.
According to police, two bags of marijuana, a bag of crack cocaine and a handgun were found in the car, and one of the brothers was charged with possession with intent to distribute crack, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, unlawful carry of a handgun, possession of a firearm by a violent offender and resisting arrest. The other brother was charged with resisting arrest.
During the demonstration, video footage captured a single police officer trying to make space for firefighters and an apparatus in order to reach a fire near the headquarters. The video also shows what appears to be a plastic bottle thrown at the officer and either hitting or just missing him.
The firefighters were able to get to the flames, and no injuries were reported during the protest. Police also made no arrests and didn't employ no tear gas or other nonlethal measures, according to Yahoo News.
