A Minneapolis man charged with attempted murder after firing at police officers during the George Floyd protest was acquitted of all charges after claiming he shot back in self defense. 

Jaleel Stallings, 29, was acquitted on Wednesday of multiple charges stemming from a shooting last summer where he shot at the Minneapolis Police Department after they opened fire on him with rubber bullets. 

The US Army veteran argued the shooting was in self-defense. He testified that he fired three shots at an unmarked white van after he was struck in the chest with what turned out to be a nonlethal rubber bullet fired by the MPD, the Associated Press reported. 

Stallings' attorney Eric Rice told AP his client thought he was being attacked by civilians and he would potentially bleed out so he fired at the van as a warning and took cover.

The van used by the police was an unmarked white Ford Transit, which had been fitted with flashing lights that were switched off at the time of the arrest.

Its interior was darkened, and it was being followed by a row of police cruisers with their lights flashing, which cops have since claimed was a 'tip of the spear' strategy to try and tackle ongoing riots.  

Stallings, an Army veteran who now works as a truck driver, returned fire at police with his mini Draco pistol, which was legally-owned, the Minnesota Reformer reported.