By Agencies
Houston police say nearly 200 people were arrested and four officers were injured during protests over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Those arrested “participated in unlawful assemblies, Police Chief Art Acevedo said Saturday on Twitter. “Most will be charged with obstructing a roadway,”
The four officers suffered minor injuries and eight police cars were damaged during the protests, according to Acevedo.
Protesters also blocked a Dallas interstate and one officer suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said on Twitter.
Police in both cities also used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds that numbered in the hundreds.
Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said officers were making sure the protest was peaceful when violence began.
“Then all of a sudden bricks start hailing, hitting our squad cars, hitting the officers … I almost got hit with a brick,” Hall said.
It was not clear how many were arrested in Dallas and police did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Saturday.
Protests have spread across the U.S., fueled by outrage over Floyd’s death. On Friday, the white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck was arrested and charged with murder.
