MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The owners of a Minneapolis restaurant have filed the first lawsuit against the city over property damage caused by the civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd.
A federal lawsuit filed Monday by owners of the Town Talk Diner and Gastropub alleges that Mayor Jacob Frey knew about the seriousness of the violent protests but he and other city leaders failed to take steps to protect small businesses along Lake Street. The Town Talk Diner and Gastropub was burned down.
The lawsuit seeks $4.5 million in damages.
City Attorney Jim Rowader disputed the lawsuit and said in a statement that Frey acted swiftly and requested support from the Minnesota National Guard, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.
Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck even as he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked violent protests in Minneapolis, where many businesses were ransacked and burned.
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