Protests erupted Sunday in Minneapolis after witnesses said an officer shot a handcuffed black man.
Around 12:45 a.m., police were responding to an assault call that escalated to a "help" call when the suspect reportedly returned to the area, "confronting paramedics and disrupting their ability to render aid," according to a police statement viewed by Fox 9.
Police officials contend that officers arrived and an altercation between the police and the suspect ensued. During the incident, an officer "discharged his weapon striking the suspect," according to the police statement.
The statement also indicates that the suspect was not in handcuffs when he was shot, Fox 9 reports.
But several witnesses told the NAACP and the Minneapolis chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement that the suspect, whom the NAACP identified as Jamar Clark, was in fact in handcuffs when he was shot.
"Earlier today Sunday Nov. 15th, Jamar Clark, was shot by Minneapolis Police Dept. while unarmed at the intersection of James and Plymouth in North Minneapolis," Black Lives Matter Minneapolis posted on its "Justice 4 Jamar" Facebook event page. "Overwhelmingly, neighbors are recounting that Jamar was handcuffed while shot and that the police threatened residents to leave the scene immediately after the incident. It is unknown if the victim is alive."
Police did not say whether the shooting was fatal, but did say that the man was taken to a local hospital, where he was still being treated.
Many online protesters were demanding police transparency and #JusticeforJamar.
According to the news station, the investigation into the incident is ongoing and includes speaking with witnesses whose accounts differ from the officers' version of events. The two officers involved in the shooting have both been placed on paid administrative leave.
During a press conference Sunday, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau urged anyone with information to call the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is conducting an investigation.
"We need to know the truth," she added, Fox 9 reports.
Read more at Fox 9.