He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who had earlier appealed in vain for calm.
Protests have struck almost all major communities in the United States, but the cities hit with the most severe protests include Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Street cleaning crews and volunteers cleaned up debris as curious residents surveyed the aftermath, taking photos and shooting video.
The College Football Hall of Fame, which is located near the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, was near the epicenter of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis earlier this week. "I woke up wanting to see the world burn yesterday, because I'm exhausted of seeing black men die".
The police clashed with protesters throughout the afternoon leading to the eventual burning of a police squad auto. Chauvin was charged with murder and manslaughter Friday.
In addition to the damage downtown, businesses in the upscale Buckhead neighborhood were also a target, with windows smashed, fires set and retail displays trashed.
Demonstrators rocked a police van, set it ablaze, then scrawled graffiti across its charred hulk and set it on fire a second time as officers retreated from the area.
The College Football Hall of Fame was among the buildings vandalized by looters and protesters in Atlanta on Friday night. The protest in Atlanta erupted after anger over the death of George Floyd spread from Minneapolis to other major United States cities on Friday.
Unrest has been witnessed in several U.S. cities, including Washington, after Minneapolis black resident George Floyd died shortly after being held in police custody. "Atlanta embodies these values, and I encourage all who exercise these rights to remember Atlanta's legacy of peaceful protest leading to progress". "That was not the spirit of the original peaceful protest".
At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said in an emailed statement.
"There has been looting at the College Football Hall of Fame... and many other businesses". Rioters attacked and damaged CNN's headquarters on Friday. Floyd, 46, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a police officer who knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes and remained on Floyd after he stopped moving.
For several minutes, Floyd, while handcuffed, was pinned to the ground by a cop kneeling on his neck.
