Minnesota National Guard units on Saturday evening began clearing the streets of Minneapolis, using paint cartridges against protesters.
One video published on Twitter shows police firing what appears to be cartridges filled with paint in order to drive residents back into their own homes. The incident reportedly occurred in the city's Whittier neighbourhood.
Protests over the death of 46-year-old black man George Floyd that first began in Minneapolis have now gone nationwide with shops looted and gas stations set on fire.
The man died in custody on Monday after being pinned to the ground and suffocated by police.
One of the four officers involved held a knee to the man's neck, whose close-to-last words were "I can't breathe". The police were responding to a call from a local grocery store where Floyd had allegedly tried to pay with a counterfeit $20 bill.