photo credit: Sam Wagner // Shutterstock
After the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protest erupted in the city. Floyd was handcuffed, face down on the ground while an officer had his knee in Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, cutting off this airways. He died on the scene. All four officers have been fired. On Wednesday, Minneapolis’s mayor called for the police officer who had pressed his knee to Mr. Floyd’s neck to be arrested and charged.
According to the New York Times, one of the officers involved in Floyd’s death, Officer Chauvin, 44, had several complaints filed against him, three of which led to reprimands for his language and tone.
African-Americans account for about 20 percent of the Minneapolis’s population, but they are more likely to be pulled over, arrested and have force used against them than white residents, Police Department data shows. And black people accounted for more than 60 percent of the victims in Minneapolis police shootings from late 2009 through May 2019, data shows.
On Wednesday, hundreds of more people gather in protests that have become more intense, spreading to other major cities like Los Angeles and Minnesota, as American grow tired and frustrated about the continued killing of black people in this country.
Police met protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets as they set fire to building and luted stores. A recently renovated Target has been destroyed and looted. An almost-complete apartment complex, now ash, and other commercial buildings badly damaged.
The Justice Department says that the federal investigation of Floyd’s death is a top priority. Trump added to that with the follow tweet,
….I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
I came back out. This is my neighborhood. You can see flames for a mile and feel the heat from a block away pic.twitter.com/0kmkBqcFZJ
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) May 28, 2020
Meanwhile across the street, police are armored up and firing on protesters pic.twitter.com/tdadCB4pLW
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) May 28, 2020
Absolute chaos outside the Third precinct. Police are firing tear gas and stun grenades as protesters erect a barricade. Across the street, Target, Cub and other businesses are being picked apart by looters. @StarTribune pic.twitter.com/T7TV30v1lQ
— Aaron Lavinsky (@ADLavinsky) May 28, 2020
Things are heating up pic.twitter.com/uDJJfD2fBm
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) May 28, 2020
The half-built building across from Target is ablaze. "Be careful in that building," someone yells after a group of people that just went inside, "that's more than just wood burning in there." pic.twitter.com/XxJspzBoFD
— Libor Jany (@StribJany) May 28, 2020
Written by Clarke Jones