Despite Cleveland police chief's claims, none arrested in weekend riots were from outside Ohio, report says

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Protests continue near White House

Peaceful demonstrators call for justice; Kevin Corke reports.

Cleveland’s chief of police said Sunday that none of the 99 people arrested during downtown riots sparked by the death of George Floyd were from the area, but jail and court records show otherwise.

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams claimed that the majority of those arrested were either not from the area or out of state. But Cuyahoga County Jail records say the majority arrested were indeed from Cleveland, with the remaining from surrounding counties and suburbs, the Plain Dealer reported.

A woman walks past broken windows, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in downtown Cleveland.  (AP)

The charges against the protesters ranged from breaking and entering, aggravated rioting, or failing to comply with police orders, among others.

Cleveland police arrested around 60 more people Monday on charges relating to the protests and riots. Police have not released information about those arrests.

The Cleveland Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

Williams’ blame of supposed outside agitators has been repeated by other law enforcement agencies and city officials across the country despite evidence to the contrary.

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In Minneapolis, the city where Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests, Mayor Jacob Frey has said that “white supremacists” and “out-of-state instigators” could be behind the protests. The comment was echoed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

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A report by KARE 11 showed “about 86 percent” of the 36 arrests on Saturday listed their address as Minnesota, and that they live in Minneapolis or the metro area. A report by the Washington Post also cast doubt on the governor’s claims.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.