Thousands of police and National Guard troops fanned out across Baltimore on Tuesday night to enforce a new curfew and prevent further violence, while the mayor fended off criticism that she responded sluggishly to a night of rioting, looting and fires, Reuters reported.
A day after the worst rioting in the United States in years, more than 3,000 police took up posts in front of businesses and hospitals with less than 30 minutes before a citywide 10 p.m. EDT curfew takes effect.
On Monday, shops were looted, buildings burned to the ground, 20 officers were injured and police arrested more than 250 people in the violence following the funeral of a 25-year-old black man who died in a hospital on April 19 a week after sustaining injuries in police custody.
The death of Freddie Gray gave new energy to the public outcry that flared last year after police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri; New York City and elsewhere.