The shooting sparked unrest in an area already on edge because of the trial of the first of four police officers charged over the killing of another Black man, George Floyd, last year [Leah Millis/Reuters]

Minneapolis, April 13 (RHC)-- Protesters have clashed with police for the second night in the suburb of the US city of Minneapolis following the killing of a Black man during a traffic stop, with police calling the fatal shooting an “accident.”

Officials have claimed that the shooting death on Sunday of 20-year-old Daunte Wright was “an accidental discharge”, adding that the officer had apparently intended to fire a Taser, not a handgun.

The shooting sparked unrest in an area already on edge because of the trial of the first of four police officers charged over the killing of another Black man, George Floyd, last year.  Hundreds of protesters faced off against police in Brooklyn Center after nightfall on Monday, and hours after a dusk-to-dawn curfew was announced by the governor.  When the protesters refused to disperse, police began firing tear gas canisters and flash-bang grenades, sending clouds wafting over the crowd and chasing some protesters away.

Law enforcement agencies had stepped up their presence across the Minneapolis area after Sunday night violence.  The number of Minnesota National Guard troops was expected to more than double to more than 1,000 by Monday night.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon earlier on Monday released body camera footage that showed the officer shouting at Wright as police tried to arrest him.   “I’ll Tase you! I’ll Tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” she can be heard saying.  She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.  After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away and the officer is heard saying: “Holy shit!  I shot him.”

Gannon commented: “This appears to me, from what I viewed and the officers’ reaction and distress immediately after, that this was an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr Wright.”

But Wright’s brother, Dallas Bryant, told about 100 people gathered for a candlelight vigil on Monday evening that his brother sounded scared during the phone call, and questioned how the officer could mistake a gun for a Taser.  “You know the difference between plastic and metal.  We all know it,” he said.