RICHMOND, Va. -- After a week of city-wide protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Mayor Stoney has said that he wants charges dropped for peaceful protestors who were arrested for violating curfew.
Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on Memorial Day when a police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, three of which he was unconscious for.
After protests in the city developed into destructive riots and looting on Friday and Saturday evening, a three day curfew was enacted in Richmond beginning at 8 p.m. Sunday evening through Wednesday morning.
On Friday, Stoney tweeted that he has asked the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney to drop the charges for peaceful protesters who were arrested solely for violating curfew.
I’ve spoken with the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney, Colette McEachin, and I made it clear that peaceful protesters who were arrested solely for violating curfew should have their charges dropped.
— Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) June 5, 2020
On Monday, Richmond Police Chief William Smith said that curfew enforcement "was directed solely at those that were involved in violence and destruction of our city," and protesters were not arrested unless they were partaking in violence.
"We made no arrest whatsoever for curfew unless you were involved in violence and destruction of our city," Smith said.
CBS 6 has reached out to Mayor Stoney and Commonwealth's Attorney Collete McEachin for comment on the discrepancies between Chief Smith's statement and Mayor Stoney's tweet mentioning the arrest of peaceful protesters.
