Night after Scottsdale Fashion looting, no destruction at other Valley malls
May 31, 2020, 10:45 PM | Updated: Jun 1, 2020, 12:30 pm
(Photo: Jake Anderson/KTAR News)
PHOENIX — With heavy police presence around a handful of shopping complexes in the Valley, police did not report any looting at malls and marketplaces in the Phoenix metro area.
Shopping districts and malls including Desert Ridge Marketplace, Arizona Mills, Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons situated police cars around the complex prior to curfew Sunday night in an effort to avoid a similar scene to Scottsdale Fashion Square the night before.
Beyond the downtown Phoenix protests, there was little protest activity or riots.
On Saturday night, Scottsdale Fashion Square was vandalized and looted. Police estimated that damages and theft resulted in the loss of millions of dollars.
The mall was closed Sunday and no timetable was given for its reopening.
Most other malls and large marketplaces in the Valley closed early or did not open on Sunday.
Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace said they would resume operating Monday, while closing at 6 p.m. to comply with the curfew (the shopping centers initially said they’d stay open until 8 p.m. but moved up closing time.) They closed at 4 p.m. Sunday as a precaution.
Sunday was the fourth consecutive night of protesting in the downtown area. After it began with a peaceful demonstration, the leaders advised protestors to go home before curfew at 8 p.m.
Some of the crowd remained, and Phoenix Police declared unlawful assembly in the area of 3rd Avenue and Van Buren St. around 8:20 p.m.
Police used tear gas around 9 p.m.
By 10 p.m., the downtown Phoenix streets had cleared of almost all people while police presence remained.