Police in Texas’ two largest cities deployed pepper spray and tear gas Friday night as protests escalated over the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Some clashed with police at several occasions downtown Friday evening, with officers deploying pepper spray to disperse crowds, including one confrontation that took place near police headquarters.
A white Minneapolis officer was charged with murder Friday in the death of Floyd, a black man who begged for air while handcuffed on the ground as the officer pressed his knee into his neck.
On Friday, the white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck was arrested and charged with murder.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo had said he welcomed the peaceful afternoon rally, before the protests escalated into disorder.
