Minneapolis chaos: George Floyd protests erupt – Trump threatens to open fire on looters

Following his tragic death, protests across the country erupted and thousands of people gathered outside police departments across Minneapolis.

According to reports, some protestors threw rocks with police responding with tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bags.

These protests come after Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman said they must look at all evidence before bringing charges to the police officers.

He told reporters: “My job in the end is to prove he violated a criminal statute.

“And there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge.

“We need to wade through all of that evidence and come to a meaningful decision and we are doing that to the best of our ability.”

The four officers involved in Mr Floyd’s death were fired this week and the incident is being investigated.

Mr Floyd’s brother, Philonise, told CNN he wanted the protests to be peaceful but stressed he understood anger after seeing another black man killed by the police.

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He said: “I want everybody to be peaceful right now, but people are torn and hurt, because they’re tired of seeing black men die.

“Theses officers need to be arrested right now and held accountable about everything because these people want justice right now.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told CBS News he believed Mr Floyd’s death constituted murder.

He said: “I am not a prosecutor, but let me be clear.

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“The arresting officer killed someone.

“He (Floyd) would be alive today if he were white.”

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson said Mr Floyd was a “great dude” and a “protector and provider” for everybody.

He said: “He was just a great dude, somebody that wanted to be a protector and provider for everybody around him.

“It sucks that the whole world had to see my friend go that way.

“He didn’t deserve that, but the way that people are supportive of him and standing up for him… his death will not be in vain.”

However, the protests escalated quickly with looting witnessed in the downtown area.

Shops and businesses had their windows smashed and buildings were set on fire.

Footage posted on social media show people looting cartloads of goods from a nearby Target store and raiding grocery stores.

And now US President Donald Trump has threatened to start shooting anyone who is looting in the area.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: “I can’t stand back and watch this happen to a great American city, Minneapolis.

“A total lack of leadership.

“Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the city under control, or I will send in the National Guard and get the job done right.

“These THUGS are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen.

“Just spoke to Governor Tm Walz and told him that the military is with him all the way.

“Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Twitter has now hidden Mr Trump’s tweet but have refused to take it down as they have deemed it still in public interest.

Mr Trump and Twitter have an ongoing feud after the US President signed an executive order aimed at removing some of the legal protections given to social media platforms.

The order reportedly gives regulators the power to pursue legal actions against social media firms for the way they police content on their platforms.

He accused Twitter of election interference, after it added fact-check links to two of his tweets.

Overnight seven people were also shot during a protest in Louisville as tensions escalated over another killing of a black person by three white police officers.

Of those reported injured, one remains in a critical condition.

According to the New York Times, no officers reportedly discharged their weapons or were any of those injured during the protest.

The Louisville Metro Police Department said it was too early to determine who might be responsible.