Newly sworn-in Attorney General Loretta Lynch met Monday evening with President Barack Obama to discuss the riots unfolding in Baltimore, the White House said.
The meeting was not called specifically as a result of the situation in Baltimore, the White House said, but Lynch “assured the President that she would continue to monitor events in Baltimore and that the Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that might be helpful there.”
Obama also spoke with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Monday, while his senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, spoke with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the White House said.
The growing violence in Baltimore, just 40 miles from the White House, represents another challenge for the Obama administration in addressing racial unrest across the country. Since the police killing of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer, the administration has worked to acknowledge deep frustrations in minority communities while also supporting law enforcement.
Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, has spoken in personal terms about police harassment. So far, he hasn’t spoken about the unrest in Baltimore, but White House officials say they’re considering releasing a statement to address the situation.
The violence in Baltimore comes on the same day as the funeral for Gray, who died in police custody under circumstances that remain unclear.
The situation presents an immediate challenge for Lynch, who was sworn in on Monday after a five-month confirmation battle in the Senate. Her strong relationship with law enforcement was touted as a key qualification for the attorney general job.
The White House sent three representatives to Baltimore on Monday for Gray’s funeral: Broderick Johnson, a native of the city and the chairman of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force; Heather Foster, an adviser in the White House Office of Public Engagement; and Elias Alcantara, the associate director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Broderick and Foster also attended the funeral of Michael Brown, the unarmed 18-year-old who was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer last August.
During his tenure as attorney general, Eric Holder spearheaded a federal effort to crack down on police departments that show a pattern of racial bias, and considered bringing federal charges in the Brown shooting. He visited Ferguson immediately after intense protests there began and said his presence helped calm the situation.
His Justice Department also sent community relations officials to Baltimore in an effort to improve communications between the community and law enforcement there.
Hogan, the recently elected Republican, signed an executive order Monday evening declaring a state of emergency and activating Maryland’s National Guard. In a statement, he said the “looting and acts of violence in Baltimore will not be tolerated.”
Hogan also canceled his public events scheduled for Tuesday.
Maryland State Police have ordered an additional 40 troopers to Baltimore and will be deploying Monday evening to join the 42 troopers already assisting city police.
Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, who spoke at Gray’s funeral on Monday, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room” that “there are different elements here. You have some people that are genuinely very upset about what happened to Mr. Gray. … I’m asking people not to get involved in” looting and rioting.
He said 150 ministers were meeting Monday night in Baltimore in search of ways to diffuse the tensions.
Cummings also said he’d taken a call from White House adviser Valerie Jarrett on Monday afternoon offering the White House’s assistance and saying that Baltimore’s police department “is going to be looked at very carefully by the Justice Department.”
Both of Maryland’s Democratic senators said they are concerned about the violence.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski called the situation “terrible.”
“We know the people of Baltimore. We know they have strong passions. We also know they respect each other’s rights. We would ask everyone to please do that,” said Sen. Ben Cardin. “We respect your right to express your view, but do it in a respectful way. And don’t feed into the very few number who have resorted to vandalism and violence.”
Baltimore police said seven officers have suffered serious injuries in the clashes on the city’s streets, including broken bones, and one is unconscious.
At one point, police officers in riot gear took cover behind an armored vehicle as protesters pelted them with rocks. Officers appeared to use tear gas on the protesters.
Baltimore police said there is a “credible threat” that local gangs are planning to team up in an effort to “take out” law enforcement officers.
The Baltimore Orioles baseball team, meanwhile, postponed the game it had scheduled at Camden Yards on Monday night.