George Floyd Protests In Denver Turn Violent; Shots Fired

DENVER, CO — Despite calls for peaceful protest, tensions escalated Thursday night in Denver, where several hundred people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died earlier this week while in custody of Minneapolis police.

According to multiple reports, protesters marched through downtown Denver, snarling traffic. Aerial footage showed protesters briefly blocking traffic from moving on Interstate 25 in both directions before swarming back through the downtown streets outside the Capitol.

Police fired tear gas to get them to move off of the interstate, The Denver Post reported.

Aerial footage and reports from the scene showed several protesters smashing the windows out of at least two vehicles parked outside the Capitol, and others spray-painted graffiti on the Capitol steps. At least one person was reportedly taken to the hospital.

Earlier in the evening, Denver police confirmed shots were fired at West Colfax Avenue and West 15th Street near the capitol. No injuries were reported.

Police do not have anyone in custody, Denver police spokesman Kurt Barnes told The Denver Post.

“We do believe that the shots were towards the capitol, but we do not at this point have any correlation to the protest or the protestors,” Barnes said.

At 5:38 p.m., Rep. Leslie Herod tweeted that someone had shot into the rally.

Protesters gathered in Denver following Floyd's death earlier this week. Floyd, a black man, was identified in a video that showed him gasping for breath while a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes. In footage recorded by a bystander, Floyd pleads that he cannot breathe until he slowly stops talking and moving.

The video quickly went viral, sparking nationwide protests calling for police reform and demanding justice for Floyd.

On Thursday, Minneapolis saw its third day of violent protests and looting. Another protest was announced for Thursday evening near county offices in downtown Minneapolis, and demonstrations also broke out in neighboring St. Paul. Buildings burned, windows were smashed, and property destroyed.

Some stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs closed early, fearing more strife. The city shut down its light-rail system and all bus service out of safety concerns. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also activated the National Guard to deal with the events.

The protest in Denver — Justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Sean Reed & Others — was slated to start at 5 p.m. Organized on Facebook, nearly 700 people had replied that they plan to attend.

Organizers had asked protesters to bring their "signs, masks and voices." The post also called for a peaceful protest.

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