The wave of protests in the US over the killing in police custody of George Floyd are the latest outpourings of anger that have erupted after the deaths of black Americans.

Here’s a timeline of some of the major incidents from 2014 onwards.

17 July 2014: Eric Garner

Protestor in Brooklyn being restrained by NYPDImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionA protest over the death of Eric Garner at the hands of New York police

Eric Garner died after he was wrestled to the ground by a New York police officer on suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes.

While in a choke hold, Mr Garner uttered the words “I can’t breathe” 11 times.

The incident – filmed by a bystander – led to protests across the country. The police officer involved was later fired, but was never prosecuted.

It came a year after the Black Lives Matter movement emerged in response to the acquittal of the man who killed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.

9 August 2014: Michael Brown

Street clash involving protestors in FergusonImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionThe killing of Michael Brown led to violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri

Michael Brown, 18, was killed by a police officer, in Ferguson, Missouri, who was responding to reports that Brown – who was not armed – had stolen a box of cigars.

The exact circumstances of the encounter are disputed, but Brown was shot six times, according to autopsy reports.

A report by the Department of Justice later concluded that the police force had displayed racial bias against Brown and used excessive force. The officer involved resigned from the force, but was not prosecuted.

The incident led to multiple waves of protests and civil unrest in Ferguson, boosting the Black Lives Matter movement further.

22 November 2014: Tamir Rice

A solitary toy is left in a park as a memorial for Tamir RiceImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionA solitary toy is left as a memorial near where Tamir Rice died

Tamir Rice, a boy of 12, was shot dead in Cleveland, Ohio by a police officer after reports of a male who was “probably a juvenile” pointing a gun that was “probably fake” at passers by.

Police claimed that they told Rice to drop the weapon – but instead of dropping it he pointed it at police.

The police confirmed that the gun was a toy after Rice had been shot dead.

There were no prosecutions after this case. The police officer involved was sacked three years later for lying on his job application form.

4 April 2015: Walter Scott

Walter Scott was shot in the back five times by a white police officer, who was later fired and eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Mr Scott had been pulled over for having a defective light on his car in North Charleston, South Carolina, and ran away from the police officer after a brief scuffle.

The killing sparked protests in North Charleston, with chants of “No justice, no peace”.

5 July 2016: Alton Sterling

Alton Sterling’s death led to days of protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr Sterling was killed after police responded to reports of a disturbance outside a shop.

Ieshia Evans protesting during demonstration in Baton Rouge in 2016Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionA lone protestor confronts a line of police in Baton Rouge

The incident was caught on mobile phone footage and spread online.

The two officers involved did not face criminal charges, but one was dismissed and the other suspended from the police.

6 July 2016: Philando Castile

Philando Castile was killed while out driving with his girlfriend in St Paul, Minnesota.

Protest following US officer's acquittalImage copyrightEPA
Image captionA friend of Mr Castile weeps during a protest

He was pulled over by the police during a routine check, and told them he was licensed to carry a weapon, and had one in his possession.

He was shot as he was reaching for his licence, according to his girlfriend.

She live-streamed the encounter on Facebook. The officer involved was cleared of murder charges.

18 March 2018: Stephon Clark

Stephon Clark died after being shot at least seven times in Sacramento, California, by police who were investigating a break-in.

The district attorney said that the police had not committed a crime, as the officers said they feared for their lives believing Mr Clark was armed.

Only a mobile phone was found at the scene.

The release of a police video of the incident sparked major protests in the city.

13 March 2020: Breonna Taylor

Protestors holding up sign with Breonna Taylor's nameImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician was shot eight times when officers raided her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky.

The police were executing a search warrant as part of a drugs raid, but no drugs were found.

Louisville police said they returned fire after one officer was shot and wounded in the incident.

The family has filed a lawsuit which says that Ms Taylor’s partner fired in self-defence because the police did not identify themselves, and he believed they were being burgled.

One policemen involved has been fired and two others put on administrative leave.

25 May 2020: George Floyd

Denver Colorado die in protestImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionProtestors in Denver stage a die-in over the killing of George Floyd

George Floyd died after being arrested in Minneapolis, and held down by police officers, one of whom had his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck.

He pleaded that he couldn’t breathe.

Protests broke out in cities across the US, and there were demonstrations in other parts of the world.

One officer has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, and three others will face charges of aiding and abetting murder.

Police have killed 576 people in 2020.