Amazon pares deliveries and routes in some cities rocked by protests

Amazon is limiting deliveries and shifting routes in some cities that have been rocked by protests over the killing of George Floyd.

The e-commerce company is making the changes and reductions in several communities to keep its employees safe amid unrest sparked by Floyd's killing by a white Minneapolis police officer.

"We are monitoring the situation closely and in a handful of cities we’ve adjusted routes or scaled back typical operations to ensure the safety of our teams,'' the company said in a statement.

Target took similar steps Sunday. The retailer, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, said it would close six locations in the U.S. until further notice to protect employees whose safety was compromised by demonstrations.

Drivers delivering packages for Amazon in Chicago and Los Angeles were contacted on Saturday, according to a report by Bloomberg.

“If you are currently out delivering packages, stop immediately and return home,'' read the messages, according to Bloomberg. "If you have not completed your route, please return undelivered packages to the pick-up location whenever you’re able to do so."

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The company told drivers that it was monitoring the demonstrations and would resume operations at shuttered delivery stations when it deemed it safe to do so.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazon reduces deliveries, shifts routes amid protests over George Floyd