Four Minneapolis Cops Fired Over George Floyd's Death, Protests Erupt
Minneapolis Police Fires 4 Cops Over Floyd's Death ... Mass Protests Erupt
5/25/20
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3:45 PM PT -- The killing of George Floyd is starting to have Rodney King-esque levels of repercussions out in Minnesota -- hundreds of people are taking to the street and decrying his death.
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Check out this scene right now in Minneapolis, where throngs of people are blocking roads and demonstrating en masse. Several different blocks are completely covered in bodies moving about -- it's surreal to see from a bird's eye view.
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Things don't appear to be getting too out of hand at the moment, but we're sure law enforcement (and the public) is keeping a close eye on how things play out in the hours to come.
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12:45 PM PT -- Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced 4 cops have been fired over George Floyd's death. The police chief, who made the announcement during a Tuesday news conference, did not identify the officers involved. Mayor Jacob Frey said, "This is the right call."
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8:26 AM PT -- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just delivered some strong remarks about the death of the African-American man, George Floyd, who had an officer's knee on his neck for several minutes -- and his message is clear ... this cop failed by all accounts, and the victim should NOT have died.
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Mayor Frey says, "Being Black in should not be a death sentence." He goes on to say, "When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." Frey added, "All I keep coming back to is this: this man should not have died."
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Frey went on to say that the victim's life mattered, and that regardless of what the investigation revealed ... it doesn't change the simple fact that what happened is wrong. He also issued an apology to the African-American community and the family of the victim in Minneapolis, saying he was so sorry.
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Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo also came to the podium and backed up what the Mayor said. He also implied the knee technique was not one sanctioned or taught at the police academy there, and also discussed why the feds were set to investigate.
A Minneapolis man is dead after a police officer put his knee on the man's neck and kept it there, despite pleas by the man that he couldn't breathe, and now the FBI is on the case.
It happened Monday night, when cops were responding to a "forgery in progress." Police arrived and saw the suspect sitting in a car. According to the Department, the man resisted arrest so he was placed in handcuffs, adding "he appeared to be suffering medical distress."
The Police Dept. added, "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident."
What the P.D. did not address ... is the video, and it's incredibly disturbing.
You see the man on the ground in cuffs, as an officer puts his knee on his neck and the African-American man cries out, "Please, I can't breathe." The officer doesn't budge, as another officer passively watches.
It's apparent the man is in distress, as a passerby screams, "That's bulls***, bro. You're stopping his breathing right there, bro. Get him off the ground, bro," adding the officer was "enjoying it."
The man becomes motionless, an ambulance shows up and the man is taken to a hospital where he died.
The officers, whose bodycams were on and activated during the incident, were placed on administrative leave and the FBI is now investigating.
Originally Published -- 6:04 AM PT
