Social media threats prompted a police response at Greenwood Park Mall Saturday afternoon.
The Simon-owned mall closed at noon Saturday due to "recent events," according to a Greenwood Police Department news release. Those recent events include protests that turned violent in Indianapolis and other violence playing out around the country, said Matt Fillenwarth, spokesperson for Greenwood police.
The Facebook posts encouraged looting at the mall and other stores.
Police vehicles also lined the front of the Super Target Saturday on State Road 135 in Greenwood.
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Officers from several agencies including the Greenwood police, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police were stationed at the Greenwood Police Department Training Center across the street from the mall.
The mall reopened Sunday during its normal business hours of noon of 6 p.m.
Greenwood police continued its increased presence Sunday, Fillenwarth said.
The Saturday threats came hours after crowds angered by the Minneapolis death of George Floyd clashed with police in downtown Indianapolis Friday night, prompting officers to fire multiple volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds that shattered storefronts.
The Friday protest over Floyd’s death last week after a white police officer pushed his knee into the handcuffed black man’s neck for several minutes began peacefully. It turned violent Friday night, though, with some demonstrators smashing windows and glass doors on many businesses, including Circle Centre Mall, and lingering into the early morning hours of Saturday. The violence picked up again Saturday night after a day of peaceful protests.
The violence in Indianapolis and many other cities was sparked by anger over Floyd’s death, which was captured on cellphone video. It led to the firing Tuesday of the four police officers who were arresting Floyd for suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill and to third-degree murder and manslaughter charges being filed Friday against the officer who used his knee to pin Floyd down for more than eight minutes, even as Floyd pleaded for air and went limp.
At one point Friday night, Indianapolis police stood in riot gear as groups of protesters moved through clouds of tear gas chanting “I can’t breathe,” and “Black lives matter.”
Just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, a police spokesperson said shots had been fired at a Marion County Sheriff’s Department deputy. That deputy was not injured and did not return fire, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a statement Saturday that three law enforcement officers were injured during the Friday protests and one demonstrator was seriously hurt while kicking in glass. He said a police officer applied a tourniquet and delivered “life-saving care” to the injured protester.
Hogsett urged participants in future protests in the state’s capital city to reject violence. He said that he, like many people, “was horrified by the needless killing of George Floyd,” and added that he recognizes the anger and frustration “communities of color” have felt for generations because of systemic racism and a lack of liberty and justice.
But the mayor said that although hundreds of city residents peacefully exercised their right to free speech to protest Floyd’s death, he was saddened that a smaller group turned violent and damaged businesses and caused injuries.
“While the emotions that fueled this vandalism may be justified, the actions that were taken and the harm that it has caused are simply unacceptable and did nothing to further the cause of progress,” Hogsett said in his statement.
Gov. Eric Holcomb also issued a statement Saturday about the violence.
“Hoosiers have long been people who find solutions to the challenges we face, whether it be in response to a pandemic or to an injustice like the world witnessed so tragically inflicted upon Mr. George Floyd in Minnesota,” he said.
“As I stated yesterday, injuring the innocent in response to an injustice is counterproductive. I’ve asked the Indiana State Police to fully support and make resources available to local communities across our state to ensure our citizens and their property remain safe.
“In the days ahead, peaceful assembly and clear voices will be important if we are to make progress. Violence and vandalism will set us back in our shared desire to resolve differences. Let us again, each of us, be part of the solution.”
But by 1:55 a.m. Sunday, a downtown Indianapolis restaurant was on fire and several hotels had been broken into.
Ram Restaurant and Brewery, 140 S. Illinois St., had been set ablaze and at least two fire trucks were on scene, said Patrick Tamm, president of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association. He said there was also a heavy police presence in the area, but did not directly indicate what may have caused the fire.
“Downtown is being destroyed,” he said in a text message to IBJ.
He said “most hotels in the area have been breached,” leading most hotel staffs to shelter in place.
Several fires were reported throughout Indianapolis Saturday night, including various parts of Georgia, Maryland and Pennsylvania streets.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said three people were shot Saturday night and one person died as protests continued to escalate in downtown Indianapolis.
The confirmed reports came on top of numerous reports of shots fired, IMPD officials said during a press conference late Saturday night.
“We’ve lost count,” IMPD Deputy Chief Josh Barker said.
Barker said he did not know the number of arrests police made during Saturday night’s protest.
“I can tell you it has been a number,” Barker said. “And that’s been driven by violence and riotous behavior by some of the individuals that have come to the downtown areas.”
Barker also said one IMPD officer suffered minor injuries Saturday night but they were not believed to be serious.
Police officials said when the protests started Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people demonstrated peacefully.
“Today we saw what we consider one of the most successful protests that Indianapolis has experienced,” Barker said.
But, he said, the situation escalated after several protestors caused damage to the City-County Building.
“There were several people down here that had no intention to protest. Their intention was to riot,” Barker said, adding that police witnessed people loading backpacks with rocks and milk to counteract chemical agents used by law enforcement.
Protesters moved away from the City-County Building after police shot tear gas into the crowd, but reassembled in other parts of downtown, including at the intersection of Market and Pennsylvania streets.
Some protesters threw rocks at the Huntington Bank branch there, breaking windows and entering the building.
Blocks away, others broke windows at AAA Bail Bonds and at 251 E. Ohio St. and turned over downtown planters lining the streets.
At 10 p.m., a group headed south on Pennsylvania Street toward Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Shots were fired Saturday night at J.Benzal Menswear at 22 E. Washington St. as protesters vandalized businesses and public property downtown.
Initially, people were trying to break the store’s windows by throwing a sledge hammer at the store. When that didn’t work, one person fired four shots at the window.
This was the second night of damage to the store, which sits between Pennsylvania and Meridian streets about a block from Monument Circle.
On Friday night, protesters broke a window out of the store that a crew boarded up Saturday morning.
The Indianapolis Business Journal contributed to this report.
