Tear gas deployed on protesters on Monument Avenue

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Police say tear gas was deployed on protesters after attempting to pull down Confederate statues located on Monument Avenue in downtown Richmond.

This marks the fourth day of protests around the city of Richmond after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Protesters walked along Monument Avenue from the Jeb Stuart statue to the Lee statue, and along Arthur Ashe Boulevard.

Richmond police say they had to deploy gas on protesters near the Lee Monument after police officers were ‘cut off’ by violent protesters.

One protester couldn’t believe or understand why police deployed the tear gas.

“We were peacefully protesting and a dozen cops came and hopped out their cars and pulled out rifles and regular guns and pointed them to the crowd,” the protester said. “Everyone was holding up their hands telling them ‘don’t shoot’, then they started shooting tear gas.”

In response, Mayor Levar Stoney says he wants to apologize to the peaceful protesters in person by organizing a meeting at the City Hall on June 2 at 12 p.m.

“Words cannot make this right, and words cannot restore the trust broken this evening,” Mayor Stoney said on his Twitter account.

Richmond police said via Twitter that officers have been pulled from the field after deploying tear gas on peaceful protesters near Lee monument.

Richmond Police Chief Will Smith reviewed video footage of police officers spraying peaceful protesters in the face.

The officers will be disciplined due to their actions being outside department protocols and directions, police say.

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