Shots fired in Denver during George Floyd protest

Protesters demonstrating in Denver over the death of George Floyd reportedly scattered throughout the city Thursday night after gunshots were fired near the state’s Capitol and police officers used tear gas canisters and pepper spray.

Tensions escalated throughout the evening between the police and protesters, the Denver Post reported.

Witnesses said that the heard six or seven gunshots fired around 5:30 p.m. MDT CBS4 in Denver reported. Denver police confirmed the report.

Police initially said that the shots were fired towards the Capitol, but “we do not at this point have any correlation to the protest or the protesters,” Kurt Barnes, a Denver police spokesman said, according to the Denver Post.

Officers fired tear gas and pepper spray after 9 p.m. to disperse crowds of hundreds of demonstrators who remained on the Capitol lawn. Protesters reportedly fled in all directions from the building.

The police reported that by 11 p.m. Thursday night some “smaller groups of protesters” remained, according to the Denver Post. Demonstrators allegedly threw fireworks at police officers, and law enforcement released additional tear gas.

Denver police said the protests had quieted by 1:30 a.m. on Friday. A few protesters were arrested, the Denver Post reported, although police did not confirm an exact number.

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