MINNEAPOLIS: A woman was killed and three other people injured when a man drove into a crowd of demonstrators who were protesting the shooting death by US Marshals of a Black man in Minneapolis, police said Monday.

Police said the man, who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drove his vehicle into a group of protestors shortly before midnight.

“Protesters pulled the suspect from the vehicle and, from reports of witnesses, began to strike the driver,” the Minnepolis police said in a statement. “Officers arrived and took custody of the driver.” A woman was taken to hospital in critical condition and died of her injuries, police said. The driver of the vehicle was also hospitalized.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the use of drugs or alcohol by the driver may be a contributing factor in this crash,” police said.

The demonstrators were protesting the June 3 death of Winston Boogie Smith, who was shot dead by US Marshals who were trying to take him into custody for firearms violations.

Smith’s death came just over a year after that of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by police while being arrested in Minneapolis.

Former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in April for Floyd’s death, which sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality around the world.