George Floyd death: Teenager shot dead in Detroit as protests rage in cities across US

19-year-old killed in apparent drive-by shooting aimed at demonstrators

A teenager has been killed after police said shots were fired at a crowd of people protesting the death of George Floyd.

The 19-year-old was pronounced dead at a hospital following the shooting near Detroit's Greektown entertainment district on Friday night, a police department spokeswoman said.

Sergeant Nicole Kirkwood said officers were confronted by dozens of protesters when a suspect pulled up to the crowd in a Dodge Durango and fired shots at around 11.30pm.

No details about the victim or the person who fired the shot or shots were immediately available, Sgt Kirkwood said.

The incident came amid escalating anger across more than a dozen US cities at the death of Mr Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed and pleaded for air as an officer pressed his knee on his neck for several minutes during the arrest.

The Minneapolis officer involved was charged with murder on Friday.

As protests raged in cities including New York, Atlanta and Portland, crowds also took to the streets in Detroit, confronted by officers, many in riot gear, who formed lines across streets.

Dozens of arrests were made and police said many were not Detroit residents, WJBK-TV reported.

By midnight, the crowd had thinned considerably as police shot canisters of gas towards the protesters.

The demonstration began earlier in the day and was peaceful as protesters marched by Detroit Police headquarters.

“We know that the individuals from outside the city of Detroit who converged at the protest location don't represent this city,” police chief James Craig told reporters earlier in the evening.

The number of arrests and injuries were not immediately available.

Additional reporting by AP