UPDATE (May 26, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.): The four officers that were identified in the video that surfaced this morning have been fired. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made the announcement earlier this afternoon. There is no word on whether they will face charges.
MPD/Mayor Frey news conference re the in-custody death: https://t.co/yeR6hcTFB0
— Libor Jany (@StribJany) May 26, 2020
Original: The Minneapolis Police Department is under fire this morning after a video of an officer pressing his knee into the neck of an unarmed man named George Floyd surfaced on Tuesday.
According to the police department, officers responded to a report of alleged forgery taking place on Chicago Avenue South. After officers arrived, they engaged with Floyd because they believed he was a suspect. Law enforcement claims that they were able to handcuff Floyd. As they engaged with him, they noticed that he was in “medical distress” and called an ambulance. From there, the ambulance took Floyd to Hennepin County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
In response to this report, social media users have raised concerns. Some have questioned the actions of the police leading up to the unidentified man’s death.
“A video shows a Minneapolis police officer pinning down a black man by the neck with his knee for several minutes as the man screams,” Mukhtar M. Ibrahim of The Sahan Journal tweeted.
“Getting word that another unarmed black man in Minneapolis was killed by police tonight. Appears to have been the result of the officer basically suffocating the person by literally standing on their throat,” Minneapolis author Dianna Anderson added.
Local authorities have not released the names of those involved in Floyd’s death. There is no word on when or if there will be disciplinary action for the officers involved.
For those who wish to see the video, it is available here for viewing at your own discretion.
