Protests Erupt In Minneapolis Over The Killing Of George Floyd, 4 Officers Fired & Mayor Speaks: Being Black In America Should Not Be A Death Sentence

Protests Erupt In Minneapolis Over The Killing Of George Floyd, 4 Officers Fired & Mayor Speaks: Being Black In America Should Not Be A Death Sentence

Update #2 (May 27th): Protests have taken place in Minneapolis in light of a black man, George Floyd, being killed in police custody. Footage of members of the community publicly taking issue with the tragedy surfaced and went viral hours after video of George Floyd’s death surfaced.

Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, also released a statement as the city is in the national spotlight.

“For the better part of the night, I’ve been trying to find the words to describe what happened. All I keep coming back to is that he should not have died. What we saw was horrible. Completely and utterly messed up. This man’s life matters. He matters. He was someone’s son, someone’s family member. Someone’s friend. He was a human being and his life mattered.”

He continued,

“Whatever the investigation reveals, it does not change the simple truth that he should be with us this morning. I believe what I saw was wrong at every level. This does not reflect the values that Chief [Medaria] Arradondo has poured tirelessly…It does not represent the training we’ve invested in, or the measures we’ve taken to ensure accountability.

He ended with,

“Being black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched as a white officer pressed his knee into the neck of a black man. For five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you’re supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic human sense. What happened on Chicago & 38th, this last night, is simply awful. It was traumatic, and it serves as a clear reminder of just how far we have to go.”

Since the video surfaced, four Minneapolis Police Department officers have been fired.

Original Story: A black man name George Floyd in Minneapolis has sadly died in police custody. A video was posted online, by a bystander and has gone viral on social media. The footage shows a white officer with his knee on George Floyd’s neck during his arrest.  This incident is being compared by some to the Eric Garner case. Reportedly, the man in the video can be seen yelling,

“I cannot breathe! I cannot breathe! Don’t kill me!”

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo spoke to reporters about the policies that are set in place for instances like this:

“We clearly have policies in place regarding placing someone under control, will be part of the full investigation we’ll do internally.”

The incident reportedly took place on Monday (May 25th) night around 8pm, when officers were called about an incident allegedly taking place at a business. The unidentified man was believed to be under the influence, inside his car, and when he got out, police say, the man “physically resisted officers.”

“He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers.  Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.” 

Immediately following the incident, the unidentified man was taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died a shortly after.  The name of the officer seen kneeling on his neck wasn’t immediately released. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a news conference Tuesday,

“Being black in America should not be a death sentence, for five minutes, we watched as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man. For five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic human sense.”

Witnesses of the incident were yelling at the officer safari being so aggressive with the mane saying,

“You’re going to just sit there with your knee on his neck?”

Police say that no weapons were used at any time during the arrest by officers, but those officers are now on paid administrative leave. The case will be investigated separately by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Check out the disturbing encounter  below:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAp2qlNnF9d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A protest was being planned this week at the intersection where the encounter happened, and urged protest goers to practice social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

What are your thoughts on that disturbing video? Let us know in the comments!