Police Say Used Tear Gas To Disperse Protesters In US City Of New Orleans

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds during overnight rallies in the US city of New Orleans in Louisiana state that erupted in the wake of the death of an African American man, George Floyd, in police custody last month, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2020) Police used tear gas to disperse crowds during overnight rallies in the US city of New Orleans in Louisiana state that erupted in the wake of the death of an African American man, George Floyd, in police custody last month, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) said on Thursday.

"The NOPD deployed teargas tonight to disperse protesters after the crowd refused to comply with three orders not to attempt to walk across the [Crescent City Connection] CCC," police posted on Twitter.

It added that the law enforcement officers were forced to use gas in response to "escalating, physical confrontation" with the police.

On May 25, Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A video of the arrest showed a white police officer pressing with his knee on Floyd's neck for at least eight minutes while the man lied handcuffed on his stomach. The initial protests against police brutality and racism in various cities in the United States were soon replaced by riots, complete with violence against police and civilians as well as acts of vandalism, arson and looting.