When protests hit the streets of Lynchburg last year, it felt like time stood still. It was a capsule of a moment, supercharged with the energy of a national movement.
For days, prominent street corners, parks and area corridors were studded with pockets of protesters â hefting signs and banners on cardboard, posters and bedsheets, many calling for social justice and police accountability following the May 25, 2020 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
There were frantic meetings of city leadership, the institution of a temporary, mandatory curfew and the declaration of a local emergency.
It felt like the beginning of something new. Now, a year later, Lynchburg-area leaders reflect on what has changed, and how momentum can continue even after the initial spark of a movement begins to fade.
Man in custody after leading police on pursuit and driving into river
Lynchburg police say a man who was holding a knife to his throat in the James River for several hours overnight was taken into custody this morning. It happened in the river between Riveredge Park in Amherst County and downtown Lynchburg. Lynchburg Police say it bega around 2:30 when a wanted man out of Amherst County led police on a chase and drove his car into the river. He then stayed in the water with a knife while crews – including a crisis negotiation team – talked to him. The man is now in custody under an emergency custody order. Police haven’t released his name or other details.
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