OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police are using tear gas to disperse hundreds of people that blocked one of the city’s busiest intersections and smashed windows of an empty store after a peaceful gathering earlier in the evening.

Live video from KETV-TV showed police trying to push protesters out of the intersection and explosions of tear gas at the intersection of 72nd and Dodge streets, a heavily traveled business district.

Some protesters said they had been hit by rubber bullets.

The gathering follows the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into his neck.

Ricketts blasts Minneapolis officer's handling of Floyd

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is blasting a white Minneapolis police officer’s handling of George Floyd, the black man whose death has triggered racially charged protests throughout the nation.

Ricketts says Derek Chauvin’s actions are an egregious violation of Floyd’s rights, and he says the now-fired officer who placed a knee on Floyd's neck should be charged and tried.

Ricketts says the incident reflects poorly on law enforcement and creates more distrust between police and communities of color, and he's encouraging protesters to express their anger peacefully.

Nebraska has already seen vocal gatherings in Omaha and Lincoln, and more are expected this weekend.