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One New York police officer shot, one slashed in Brooklyn, unclear if protest related

One New York police officer shot, one slashed in Brooklyn, unclear if protest related

Crime scene

One New York police officer was shot shortly before midnight Wednesday and another officer was slashed in Brooklyn, US, but it was unclear if the attack was related to ongoing George Floyd protests.

The names and conditions of the officers were not released, but media said the injuries were not life-threatening. Both were injured near Church and Flatbush avenues in Brooklyn when a suspect walked up to an officer and attacked.

They were taken to a nearby hospital.The New York Post said the suspect was also shot.

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The incident comes amid the mass protests in New York over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, while in custody of white police officers.

The shooting happened, nearly four hours after an 8 pm curfew went into effect intended to quell unrest over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

One arrest was made at the scene. Media said a third officer suffered a hand injury and the city's mayor, Bill de Blasio, was headed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, prosecutors on Wednesday levelled new criminal charges against four Minneapolis policemen implicated in the death.

The added murder charge filed against one officer already in custody and the arrest of three more accused of playing a role in the killing of George Floyd, 46, came as several nights of escalating unrest gave way to mostly peaceful protests.

Floyd's death has become the latest flashpoint for long-simmering rage over police brutality against African Americans, propelling the issue of racial justice to the top of the political agenda five months before the US presidential election on November 3.