Washington, Jul 21 (IANS): A US police officer was charged with multiple counts of felony assault for shooting three photojournalists with rubber bullets during a protest in the city of Detroit in May, media reports said.

Daniel Debono, a 32-year-old corporal, was charged on Monday with three felonies for the "unprovoked" shooting, which carries a maximum penalty of four years, Xinhua news agency quoted the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office as saying.

The shooting occurred on May 31 after a protest against the death of George Floyd, said prosecutor Kym Worthy in a statement.

"The evidence shows that these three journalists were leaving the protest area and that there was almost no one else on the street where they were.

"There are simply no explicable reasons why the alleged actions of this officer were taken," she said, adding that "they were a threat to no one".

Debono has been suspended with pay while police investigate the incident, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said on Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press.