Protesters Clash With Cops In NYC After George Floyd Killing

NEW YORK, NY — Dozens were arrested Thursday evening during a Union Square protest of the killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd by the city's police, an NYPD spokesman said.

The NYPD spokesman said that multiple people were detained during the protest and that the department likely won't have complete arrest numbers until after the protest ends. Protesters started gathering in Union Square around 3 p.m., according to reports on social media.

Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody after an officer placed his knee on the man's neck for at least five minutes. Four police officers involved in Floyd's arrest were fired by the city on Tuesday.

Bystanders were heard telling the officer who had his knee on the Floyd's neck to get off of him in video of the arrest taken by witnesses and uploaded to social media. A second officer ordered people to back away from the scene.

Floyd's death is similar to that of Eric Garner, who was killed when former NYPD officer placed him in a chokehold for allegedly selling loose cigarettes by the Staten Island ferry terminal. It took the NYPD five years to fire Pantaleo.

Both Floyd and Garner told officers "I can't breathe" during their arrests.

Some protesters began marching out of Union Square around 5 p.m., according to videos uploaded from the scene to social media.