Protesters, police clash in Minneapolis a day after man died in police custody
by Alex Hider
Protesters and police clashed in Minneapolis Tuesday at the same intersection where 24 hours earlier, a black man died in police custody as witness video showed officers kneeling on the man's neck.
Video from the scene showed hundreds of protesters packing the streets on the south side of the city on Tuesday evening. At one point, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, Minneapolis police confirmed to CNN.
Protesters later crowded near a police precinct, according to CNN. It's unclear if any arrests were made during Tuesday's demonstrations.
Protesters were calling for justice for George Floyd, who died in police custody on Monday. That evening the owners of a convenience store called police after Floyd allegedly tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase. When officers arrived, they ordered Floyd out of his car, at which point they say he began resisting.
At that point, bystanders began to gather, one of which began broadcasting the scene on Facebook Live. Video shows officers kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd tells the officers that he can't breathe. Floyd eventually became unresponsive, and officers called an ambulance to the scene. Floyd was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Warning: The video below features violence and may not be suitable for all viewers.
On Tuesday, four officers were fired amid their involvement in the arrest. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the firings "the right call" during a press conference.
Both the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating the incident.
Floyd's death has drawn comparisons to the death of Eric Garner — a black man who died in police custody in New York in 2014 after telling officers he was unable to breathe.