4 Police Officers Shot at in St. Louis as George Floyd Protests Turn Violent

Four police officers were shot at during the protests in St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday. Police officers came under intense gunfire as protests over the killing of George Floyd, an African-American man killed by white police officers, turned violent.

Although peaceful at first, the demonstrations turned violent, with cases of vandalism and ransacking reported. At one point, the crowd charged fireworks at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas shells. In one such video that has appeared online, police cars can be seen amid intense gunfire, with a car seen burning in the background.

St. Louis Police issue Statement

In a statement released early Tuesday, the St. Louis police said that four of its officers were struck by gunfire and were transported to an area hospital. All were conscious and breathing and are said to have sustained non-life threatening injuries. "Officers are still taking gunfire downtown", it said further.

Although the exact location of the incident is not known, it is reported to have happened at the Olive Street corridor, near the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Fox2Now reported. The city is among the several other cities that have witnessed widespread protests that have often turned violent.

The protests were triggered by the brutal killing of George Floyd, a 46-year old African American man, at the hands of four white police officers in Minneapolis, on Monday. The police officers went after him after receiving a complaint that he had paid a counterfeit $20 bill at a store. Four police officers were caught on camera, assaulting him.

The now-ousted cop Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, as the latter gasped for air. He later passed out and was declared dead at the hospital. Chauvin was arrested on Friday and has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Critics have raised questions over the severity of the charge, calling for harsher charges to be leveled against him, along with the three other police officers involved in the incident.