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Protests over killing of black man in Minnesota spread to Los Angeles as police cars smashed and shops looted

A demonstrator stands at an intersection during a protest Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Los Angeles - AP
A demonstrator stands at an intersection during a protest Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Los Angeles - AP

Protesters clashed with riot police in Los Angeles on Wednesday in an outpouring of rage over the death of a black man seen in a widely circulated video gasping for breath as a white officer knelt on his neck.

The video, taken by an onlooker to Monday night's fatal encounter between police and George Floyd, 46, showed him lying face down and handcuffed, groaning for help and repeatedly saying, "please, I can't breathe," before growing motionless.

Floyd, who was unarmed and reportedly suspected of trying to pass counterfeit bills at a corner eatery, was taken by ambulance from the scene of his arrest and pronounced dead the same night at a hospital.

The policeman shown kneeling on Floyd's neck and three fellow officers involved were dismissed from the police department on Tuesday as the FBI opened an investigation.

Outrage at Floyd's death triggered a rally in his name against police brutality by hundreds of people in downtown Los Angeles.

An injured protester lays bleeding on the highway 101 surrounded by others after a Highway Patrol car allegedly drove off during a protest  - Shutterstock
An injured protester lays bleeding on the highway 101 surrounded by others after a Highway Patrol car allegedly drove off during a protest - Shutterstock

The demonstration turned violent after a crowd marched onto a nearby freeway and blocked traffic, then attacked two California Highway Patrol cruisers, smashing their windows, local media reported.

One protester who clung to the hood of a patrol car fell to the pavement as it sped away, and was treated at the scene by paramedics, news footage of the incident showed.

The video of Monday's deadly confrontation between Minneapolis police and Floyd led Mayor Frey to call on Wednesday for Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman "to charge the arresting officer in this case".

The city identified the four officers as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng. It did not say who knelt on Floyd's neck, and gave no further information.

A man burns an upsidedown US flag as protesters gather in downtown Los Angeles - AFP
A man burns an upsidedown US flag as protesters gather in downtown Los Angeles - AFP

The local police union said the officers were cooperating with investigators and cautioned against a "rush to judgment".

"We must review all video. We must wait for the medical examiner's report," the union statement said.

The county attorney's office said it would decide how to proceed once investigators had concluded their inquiries.

The case was reminiscent of the 2014 killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man in New York City who died after being put in a banned police chokehold.