Who are these people who riot and destroy the lives of innocent people?

I certainly don't support police brutality and murder and we are long past the time it needed to be addressed.

I stayed up all night on FB Messenger with friends while one of them sat in the dark with her teenage sons holding an arsenal in Ferguson. The riots were 2 blocks away.

Businesses were destroyed and lives were ruined. Some didn't recover. I lost time at work because the officer who killed Michael Brown lived behind my school.

Now I learn that a friend's son is just 4 blocks from the riot in Minneapolis. He is married with a 2YO daughter. His MIL lives with them. They cannot leave their house.

I'm not sure that innocent citizens and communities are the ones who need to pay for the sins of law enforcement. There must be a better way.

I'm sure this thread will draw some hate-filled comments but I'm genuinely interested in hearing from people who want to promote healing. It's time to rise above chaos.