Truck driver arrested after appearing to drive into protesters

Reuters A police officer looks in the cab for the driver of a tanker truck that drove into thousands of protesters marching on 35W north bound highway during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Miller

Video captured by CBS Minnesota and a webcam shows a tanker truck apparently trying to plow through a large crowd of people on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis on Sunday night. Officials said the man is under arrest and was taken to a local medical center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Footage shows a tanker truck approaching the throng of protesters at a high speed, as protesters frantically try to avoid being hit. The truck slowly stops and is then surrounded by protesters who pull open both the driver and passenger doors. The State Police said there was no immediate word of injuries.

The crowd was part of a protest group marching against the death of George Floyd, and demonstrators had taken position to take a knee on the bridge, CBS Minnesota reports. It had been a relatively peaceful protest up until that point.

CBS Minnesota video footage also showed people climb atop the cab of the tanker truck after it had stopped. Police intervened into the tense situation minutes later and could be seen dispersing the crowd with a liquid.

The interstate had been closed at 5 p.m. CT and it wasn't immediately known why the truck was on the road. Officials said they will investigate.

There have been six days of protests in Minneapolis since the death of Floyd, who was captured on video pleading for air as a police officer kneeled on his neck while he was handcuffed. Four Minneapolis officers have been fired and one, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Protests have spread across the state and country, with some turning violent. For the first time since World War II, the National Guard was fully activated in response to the violence and a curfew was placed on the Twin Cities. More than 5,000 National Guard troops were deployed Saturday night in what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described as the "most complex public safety operation in the history of our state."