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Crime

Two police officers attacked in New York

June 4, 2020

As protests against the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd spread across the city, two police officers were injured in Brooklyn. It was not immediately clear if the attack was linked to the protests.

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NYPD policeman is seen during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City
Image: Reuters/B. Mcdermid

One police officer was shot and a second one slashed in Brooklyn, New York City late Wednesday night. It was not immediately clear if the attack was directly related to ongoing protests.

The names and conditions of the officers were not released, but both have been described as in non-life-threatening condition. They have been taken to hospital.

One arrest was made at the scene, which took place shortly before midnight. It is unclear exactly what events led up to the shooting.

US tabloid The New York Post reported that the suspect was shot.

The area was filled with police and authorities warned citizens to keep away from the site of the shooting owing to "police activity."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was reportedly heading to the hospital to visit the officers.

Read more: Ex-Pentagon chief Jim Mattis says Trump trying to divide America

Curfews broken

The United States' most-populous city has seen several days of unrest as part of the ongoing wave of protests into the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Curfews were put in place across the United States and in New York people were told to head home by 8 p.m. Many protesters have defied curfews.

Protests across the country have been largely peaceful, with some reports of looting and skirmishes. Police have cracked down heavily on protesters in some cities, using tear gas and rubber bullets.

Three more officers were charged in relation to the death, while Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, has been charged with the more serious second-degree murder.

ed/aw (AP, Reuters)

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