Minneapolis Cops, Protesters Clash In Clouds Of Tear Gas: Photos

MINNEAPOLIS — Protesters and Minneapolis police clashed Tuesday night following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, 46, died after an arrest in which a police officer was seen in a video 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.

Officers in riot gear deployed tear gas and percussion grenades to disperse the crowd.

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

Medical Examiner: George Floyd Autopsy Results Are 'Pending'

George Floyd: 4 Cops At The Scene Identified

Below are photos from Tuesday's protest in Minneapolis: