Yesterday, riots ensued across the country, as protestors took to the streets in following the outrage over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd.
The most prominent riots occurred in Minnesota, Louisville, New York, and Denver.
Now, shocking footage has emerged out of Louisville showing WAVE 3 News reporter Kaitlin Rust and her camera operator being shot at by police firing non-lethal pepper balls.
Watch the shocking moment unfold below:As she was live on-air reporting on the riots, Rust can be seen calmly walking past a wall of officers before she starts screaming off-camera, informing the hosts in the news studio that she was being shot at.
When Rust was asked to confirm who the officers were shooting at, she reiterates: "At us. Like, directly at us."
Louisville Metro Police confirmed in a statement that seven people were shot during last night's protests, and at least one of those victims is in a critical condition.
President Trump tweeted last night that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts", writing:
"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right
"These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"
He later confirmed that the National Guard had been deployed to Minnesota. He added that Floyd will not have died in vain and asked that people "respect his memory".
Yesterday it was revealed that Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck, had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
More on Chauvin's arrest below:The 19-year veteran was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."
Per the Guardian, after reviewing the bodycam footage of Floyd's arrest, state charging documents allege that the now-former Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for a total of nearly nine minutes.
It also states that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for two minutes and 43 seconds after Floyd had become non-responsive.
Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder charge would require prosecutors to prove Chauvin’s actions were willful and premeditated.