RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Richmond Police arrested 233 people in the city last night following two nights of riots and a citywide curfew that went into effect at 8 p.m.
The arrests were made primarily for curfew violations, but arrests for vandalism, firearm violations and commercial burglary were made as well, said Richmond Police Chief William Smith while speaking to the media on Monday afternoon.
Police said they warned protesters starting at 8 p.m., when the curfew began, and started making arrests later in the evening.
8News asked Chief Smith if reports of people being arrested off their own front porches is true. He said people were arrested off of front porches, but they were protestors who had run onto front porches while fleeing.
WATCH: Richmond Police Chief Will Smith speaks to reports about protests-turned-riots in the city
“We were tracking people that were fleeing both in vehicles and on foot,” said Smith
Smith continued, “Out of all the arrests we had, there was no use of force by officers.”
If people claim they were taken into custody with force, Chief Smith asks them to reach out to his internal affairs investigation “and we will fully investigate any one of those,” he said.
Smith says he has yet to receive any complaints from protestors.
Richmond police made arrests following the citywide curfew that went into effect on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Will McCue) 
Richmond police made arrests following the citywide curfew that went into effect on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Will McCue) 
Richmond police made arrests following the citywide curfew that went into effect on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Will McCue) 
Richmond police made arrests following the citywide curfew that went into effect on Sunday, May 31, 2020. (Photo: Will McCue)
“Everybody who was taken into custody were done so with respect.”
Richmond Police also confirmed that they have been in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in regards to people from outside of the Richmond area traveling here to participate in the protests and riots.
“Certainly today we have a lot more information than we had early on,” said Smith.
Police say that they arrested members of ANTIFA and numerous people from outside of the Richmond area and Virginia.
Twenty-three firearms were seized overnight including six stolen from Jefferson Loan, a pawn shop on E. Broad Street. The guns were recovered before they, “hit the street and used for illegal purposes,” according to Smith.
“We know persons were out shooting in all of our neighborhoods, city center, Jackson Ward, The Fan, across the city,” Smith said.
“Our citizens were in fear. We will not allow that to happen.”
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