SANTA MONICA—A Santa Monica store owner defended his store with guns amidst the protests.
Protests have erupted nationwide because of the death of George Floyd. As a result of the protesting, looters have taken to the streets of Santa Monica.
The liquor store owner said he stood in front of his business in Santa Monica armed with an AR-15 to discourage looters.
The store, named Broadway Wine and Spirits, is located at 1011 Broadway.
The owner known as Joe told CBSLA that, “It was a good thing I had my customers and friends by my side, because it was pretty scary.”
Additionally, Joe said he and his friends helped nearby businesses discourage looters as well.
Other local businesses in Santa Monica have been hit by looters amidst protests. Volunteers started cleaning last Monday, June 1 across the city. Some volunteers started sweeping and cleaning debris outside of the Vans store located on Broadway.
Santa Monica Police said that most of the looters from last week’s protests were not residents.
According to ABC7, Santa Monica police said over 400 people were arrested, updating a previous report of 200 arrests.
Arrests were made for crimes such as burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, looting and curfew violations, Police Chief Cynthia Renaud said. She added that 95% of those arrested during the looting do not live in Santa Monica.
