Baltimore, April 28 (RHC)-- Street clashes between police and civil rights protesters have erupted in the U.S. city of Baltimore after the funeral of an African-American man who died last week in police custody after officers broke his spine.

The Baltimore Police Department announced on Monday afternoon that protesters pelted police with rocks and plastic bottles. It added that at least seven police officers were wounded and one of them was "unresponsive." The officer was speaking as crowd attacked baton-wielding police with bricks and bottles and damaged at least one patrol vehicle, the department said.

Violence broke out after the funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died of severe spinal injuries on April 19, a week after he was arrested and detained by Baltimore police. The tragic incident, which was captured by an eyewitness on his cell phone, shows an injured Gray being dragged into a van by police officers.

Gray's death in police custody sparked protests over the weekend in the largely Black city, and there had already been a large number of arrests and several police injuries before the latest incident of violence. The demonstrators were carrying placards bearing the message "Black Lives Matter" and "Justice 4 Freddie Gray." They also chanted slogans against racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States, with many shouting "No Justice No Peace," which has become a centerpiece of the persisting protests over the past week.