George Floyd: Cops Use Tear Gas At 3rd Precinct Protest

MINNEAPOLIS — Police in riot gear used tear gas against protesters and rubber bullets were found at the site of a demonstration in Minneapolis Tuesday, according to reports from the scene, following the death of George Floyd after an arrest in which a police officer was seen placing his knee on the man's neck as he said he could not breathe.

The protest began in the afternoon at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where Floyd was arrested. In the evening, demonstrators wearing masks marched to the Minneapolis Police Department's third precinct offices, where tensions escalated and outrage boiled over.

A squad car was vandalized with spray paint, and its windows were smashed in. The glass door to the precinct was also smashed, KSTP's Beth McDonough reported.

Several other reporters were caught up in the chaos. Andy Mannix, a Star Tribune reporter covering the scene, says he was hit with a rubber bullet. Eric Chaloux, a KSTP reporter, had to dodge chemical agents.

The relationship between Minneapolis residents and its police force has been significantly strained in the last five years, because Floyd is the latest person to die in growing list of high-profile deaths at the hands of police in the Twin Cities.

Last year, former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder. Other deadly incidents involving police in the metro include the death of Philando Castile in 2016 and Jamar Clark in 2015.

In 2017, unauthorized street signs warning motorists and pedestrians of "easily startled" Twin Cities police began popping up on roads in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The signs depict a spooked police officer recklessly firing off a couple of guns and state, "WARNING: TWIN CITIES POLICE EASILY STARTLED."

The four Minneapolis police officers involved in the incident were fired Tuesday, Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday, saying it was "the right call."

Read more: 4 Minneapolis Cops Fired After Death Of Arrested Man