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State Of Emergency Declared After Shooting Death In Omaha; Protests Continue

A State of Emergency is issued in Omaha as protests continue in response to the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.  Mayor Jean Stothert announced the State of Emergency yesterday and it will last for 72 hours.  Omaha also implemented an 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew that started last night.  Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has activated the National Guard to help maintain peace in Omaha. Demonstrations took place yesterday in North Omaha and the Old Market.  The North Omaha rally at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation ended before the 8:00 p.m. curfew, but police ultimately used tear gas and flash canisters to disperse the Old Market protestors. The curfew was imposed in part due to a fatal shooting that occurred during a protest in downtown Omaha on Saturday. The shooting occurred at around 11 p.m. Saturday in the city’s Old Market area and within a couple of blocks of where protesters had gathered. Police said they arrested someone within the hour in connection with the shooting of 22-year-old protester James Scurlock. Officials didn’t say what led to the shooting during the protests. Last night's protest near the Nebraska State Capitol became contentious after police and protestors clashed.  Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd, and some protestors threw fireworks at police.  Lincoln was also under a curfew overnight, and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird issued a State of Emergency to allow the Nebraska National Guard to help police.