Police: Man shot near Richmond protests hospitalized

A protester tosses a smoke bomb towards police during a third night of unrest Sunday May 31, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Gov. Ralph Northam issued a curfew for this evening. The smoke bomb was ignited by a protester. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

RICHMOND, Va. – A man in Virginia who was hit by gunfire while riding in a car near protesters in Richmond has been hospitalized for a life-threatening gunshot wound, police said.

Richmond Police said gunfire shot from behind the car struck the man as he passed through protesters early Sunday morning. Authorities learned about the shooting after being called to a hospital where the man was being treated, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

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Authorities did not identify the victim, and as of Sunday morning, there has been no suspect in the shooting.

Protesters gathered in the city Saturday night chanting "George Floyd," the black man who died after an arresting officer in Minneapolis pushed his knee into Floyd's neck while he was on the ground handcuffed.

A dumpster was set afire near the Richmond police headquarters, which had its front windows broken out Friday night. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported police fired tear gas to move crowds away from the building.

Several of the city's most prominent Confederate monuments were covered in graffiti Sunday morning, including a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis that had "cops ran us over," spray-painted on the base. A noose had been flung over Davis' shoulder.

Other protests went on Saturday night across Virginia, including in Portsmouth, Roanoke and Manassas, where Virginia State Police said a trooper was struck in the head with a brick but sustained only a minor injury.

The protests in Virginia were similar to those carried out across the nation in response to Floyd’s death.