On Monday, May 25, police officers arrested a man named George Floyd. The police officers handcuffed him and then proceeded to kneel on his neck. George cried out to them and said that he could not breathe multiple times. The officer that was on top of Floyd did not move. Later, Floyd dyed due to a lack of oxygen.
The four officers that were involved in the arrest have since been fired. The Minneapolis mayor said, “it is the right decision for our city, the right decision for our community. It is the right decision for the Minneapolis Police Department.” Additionally, Frey added, “we’ve stated our values, and ultimately we need to live by them.”
After Floyd was pronounced dead, a riot broke out with people throwing cans of paint and rocks at the police cars.
The reason Floyd was pinned to the ground was that he was resisting arrest, according to police reports. The Minneapolis police department is under much criticism due to the video of him being killed circulating on mainstream social media. Celebrities such as Lebron James and Justin Bieber have commented on the situation.
Their captions read: “THIS MUST STOP, this makes me absolutely sick. This makes me angry this man DIED. This makes me sad. Racism is evil. We need to use our voice! Please, people. I’m sorry GEORGE FLOYD”