The incident was first captured on a Facebook Live video being broadcast by local resident Chris Ellis on Wednesday before later being shared on social media.
The footage shows the officer going to open a patrol vehicle door as the lid is thrown off camera and hits the officer in the back of the head.
The officer was wearing a protective helmet at the time and did not sustain serious injuries.
Speaking at a press conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said if the officer was not wearing protective gear “it could have been a lot worse,” reported the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
People on Twitter compared the attack to how Marvel superhero Captain America use his shield as a weapon in the popular comic books and films.
“Apparently, Captain America is sick of this s**t to,” tweeted Charlie Hustle.
The incident occurred during a night of rioting and unrest in the Minnesota city in the wake of the self-inflicted gunshot death of a murder suspect.
The Minneapolis Police Department quickly released graphic surveillance footage in an attempt to calm false reports that the Black man, who has not been named, was killed by officers.
The death of George Floyd after Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for several minutes in May sparked worldwide protests.
Despite this, crowds soon gathered at the scene of the suspect’s death, which soon escalated to rioting and looting.
In a statement, Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson said 132 people were arrested on Wednesday for offenses including riot, burglary, damage to property and curfew.
Hutchinson also called for calm as another curfew was out in place in Minneapolis for Thursday evening, which is lifted 6 a.m. on Friday.
“Yesterday a man wanted in connection to a murder took his own life in broad daylight. Misinformation quickly spread that he had been killed by law enforcement, even though video and eyewitnesses clearly confirm that this was not the case,” Hutchinson said.
“As a result, downtown Minneapolis was plagued by rioting and looting throughout the night.
“My staff and I fully support the right to protest peacefully and assemble lawfully. Our deputies and staff will continue to do all we can to ensure demonstrators have a safe environment to voice their concerns. But violence and looting will simply not be tolerated.
“We will not sit back and let criminal activity occur without consequences. We will make lawful arrests to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and our cities.”
