Police officials in Baltimore say National Guard troops are taking up positions in parts of the eastern U.S. city, which was engulfed by rioting after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died from injuries sustained while in police custody earlier this month.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called it "one of the darkest days" Baltimore has ever faced. She declared a weeklong nighttime curfew, while Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

"I understand anger. What we see isn't anger, it's the destruction of a community," the mayor told reporters late Monday, calling the protesters "thugs."

The protests began as hundreds of high school students marched towards a local mall after classes had dismissed for the day, then spread and out across several neighborhoods, overwhelming the police department's ability to prevent the violence.

Television footage showed a pharmacy in flames shortly after it was looted by rioters. Demonstrators were also caught throwing rocks, bricks, glass bottles and other objects at riot police. Police Commissioner Anthony Betts said 15 officers were injured in the clashes, three of them suffering serious injuries.

As the night wore on, more fires erupted throughout the city, including a church-run senior center that was still under construction.

The sister of Freddie Gray condemned the rioting. "I think the violence is wrong... I don't like it at all," Fredericka Gray said late Monday.

Thousands of mourners had gathered Monday at a Baltimore church to pay their respects to Freddie Gray, whose death has become the latest incident sparking questions and protests about interactions between minorities and police in the United States.

Gray suffered severe spinal cord injuries following his arrest on April 12. Officials said he was not restrained properly while being transported in a police van. Police Commissioner Betts said officers were slow to recognize that Gray, who apparently had asthma, needed medical attention.

Six officers who had contact with Gray have been placed on paid administrative leave.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who was sworn in Monday just hours before the violence erupted, met with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the federal government's response to the unrest. Lynch later issued a statement condemning what she called "the senseless acts of violence by some individuals in Baltimore." She promised to deploy the full resources of the Justice Department in "protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence."

The Justice Department and the FBI have a civil rights investigation into Gray's death. The Baltimore Police Department said more information on the case is expected this Friday, May 1.


National Guard Deployed as Violence Engulfs Baltimore