ZAYN Malik has shown his support to the family of a black man who later died after video emerged online showing a police officer kneeling on his throat.

The East Bowling-born singer tweeted a link to the fundraising page in aid of the family of George Field, who died earlier this week.

Here is Zayn’s tweet:

Meanwhile, demonstrators have set fire to a US police station overnight following Mr Field’s death.

A Minneapolis Police Department spokesman said the protesters broke into the 3rd precinct station, which has become the scene of numerous demonstrations by those angered at the video showing 46-year-old Mr Floyd's arrest.

The spokesman said police abandoned the building "in the interest of the safety of our personnel" while livestream video showed the protesters breaking in, setting the building ablaze and igniting fireworks as fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz earlier on Thursday called in the National Guard at the Minneapolis mayor's request, but it was not immediately clear when and where the reserve force was being deployed and troops were not seen at protests in the city or nearby St Paul.

Businesses in both cities have boarded up their windows and doors in an effort to prevent looting, with Minneapolis-based Target announcing it was temporarily closing two dozen area stores.

Minneapolis has shut down nearly its entire light-rail system and all bus service until at least Sunday out of safety concerns.

The demonstrations began on Tuesday after Mr Floyd died the previous day in a video in which Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneels on his neck until he slowly stops talking and moving. The 3rd Precinct covers the portion of south Minneapolis where Floyd died.

Chauvin, whose driveway was splattered with red paint and the graffiti "murderer", has not spoken publicly since Mr Floyd's death and his lawyer did not respond to calls seeking comment.

He and the other three officers involved in Mr Floyd's arrest were fired on Tuesday.