Two state employees were treated for smoke inhalation.
Armed with rocks, spray paint, and fireworks, protesters allegedly arrived at the Georgia Public Safety Office headquarters in Atlanta early Sunday morning, smashed the building, and started a fire that wounded two police agency employees, authorities said.
60 to 100 protesters, dressed in dark clothing and many with masks, caused “extensive damage” to the facilities, such as breaking several windows and painting graffiti on the building, according to Lt. Stephanie Stallings, a spokeswoman for the State Department of State. Safety.
“Fireworks were fired through one of the windows, causing a small fire in one of the offices,” Stallings said in a statement.
Stallings said employees at the scene at the time of the attack quickly put out the fire, but two DPS workers were treated for smoke inhalation.
A DPS vehicle parked in front of the building was also destroyed, Stallings said.
The building houses several other state agencies.
Stallings said the estimated cost of damage to the building is still being evaluated.
It was unclear if arrests were made.
The Georgia DPS oversees the daily operations of the Georgia State Patrol.
The vandalism came amid weeks of protests in Atlanta and across the country that began with the death of George Floyd by police on May 25 in Minneapolis and was followed by the fatal June 12 police shooting in Atlanta of another African-American Rayshard Brooks after he was found asleep in his car at a Wendy’s restaurant in the car lane.
Garrett Rolfe, the police officer who shot Brooks, was fired from the police department and charged with serious murder. Another officer involved in the incident, Devin Brosnan, was placed on administrative leave and charged with aggravated assault.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned immediately after Brooks’ death.
The Brooks shooting came just days after six Atlanta police officers were criminally charged after they were videotaped, forcing two college students out of a car, breaking their windows, and using an electric pistol while arresting them. As protests over George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis continued nearby.
Arrest warrants were issued against Lonnie Hood, Roland Claud, Mark Gardner, Armond Jones, Willie Sauls and Ivory Streeter for the incident caught on camera. Two of the officers, Gardner and Streeter, were fired and the others were placed on administrative leave.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
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