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The George Floyd killing is sparking massive protests in Minneapolis, and the local NAACP is helping protesters ... by distributing face masks and tips for coping with the danger.

The Minneapolis NAACP plans to help protesters in the city by not only providing face coverings so they can stay safe in the age of COVID-19 but also by teaching techniques on meditation and deep breathing to help relax and cope with Floyd's death ... Leslie Redmond, president of the Minneapolis NAACP tells TMZ.

Leslie says folks in Minneapolis are so upset by Floyd's killing, there is no end in sight to the protests ... so the NAACP is stepping up with face masks, which will come in handy in the face of a respiratory pandemic posing danger to large gatherings.

As for those coping mechanisms ... the Minneapolis NAACP is holding health and wellness Facebook Live sessions aimed at young people, where they can learn to meditate and breathe deeper to relieve stress.

The deep breathing lessons are a case of tragic irony ... Floyd's slow death came at the hands of a cop kneeling on his carotid artery, while witnesses filmed and George told the officer he couldn't breathe.

As we reported ... the protests and riots in Minneapolis have seen violence and looting.

The Minneapolis NAACP says the riots are a byproduct of years of neglect from the city and businesses, coupled with the pandemic.

Leslie says folks in Minny are starving, literally and figuratively, and Floyd's killing is the straw that broke the camels back. She says the NAACP has been trying to sound the alarm for years that something like this could happen, and while she's sad it's descended to this point, she's not surprised.

Redmond says the NAACP looks at the riots and protests "as an uprising of oppressed and hurt people" ... and she says the solution is simple -- police need to stop killing black people.

The NAACP is hoping folks take their messaging to heart ... Leslie says a lot of the protesters in the streets are kids who don't mean harm, and they're just frustrated and need someone to provide guidance.

The 911 caller who reported George Floyd to police claimed he was drunk when he entered their store, and allegedly tried to pay with counterfeit money.

Police released the transcript of the call made Monday night around 8 PM by an employee at the Cup Foods ... across the street from where George was initially put in handcuffs. The caller said, "Someone comes our store and give us fake bills and we realize it before he left the store, and we ran back outside, they was sitting on their car."

The caller said they, along with a coworker, asked George to return some cigarettes, but, "he doesn't want to do that, and he's sitting on his car cause he is awfully drunk and he's not in control of himself."

The interaction between the employees and George was visible in the surveillance footage from the restaurant across the street from Cup Foods.

The operator then got a description of George and the blue van where police found him when they arrived on the scene. Before hanging up, the operator asked again if George was under the influence, and the caller said, "Something like that, yes. He is not acting right."

As we reported, when police arrived ... George was in the blue van, but appeared to peacefully allow an officer to put him in handcuffs. He showed no signs of resisting arrest ... for more than 6 minutes. So, even if he was under the influence, it had no visible impact on his demeanor with cops.

Authorities are not yet ready to charge any of the officers involved in Floyd's death. The point of the news conference was to let the public know they're working on the case, and to plead for patience and an end to violent protests.

Erica MacDonald, the U.S. Attorney of the District of Minnesota, opened by saying a “robust and meticulous investigation” into the horrible incident and the actions of the police officers involved is underway. She says they are working around the clock to determine whether one or more of the cops committed a criminal civil rights violation.

MacDonald described Floyd’s death as a "disturbing loss of life," and says the case is a top priority for the Department of Justice, and President Trump and Attorney General William Barr are actively monitoring the situation.

She also said it “breaks my heart” to see what’s happening in Minneapolis — the riots, looting and violence — and pleaded with the public to remain calm ... and let them conduct their investigation. MacDonald and others encouraged peaceful protests.

Rainer Drolshagen, the FBI special agent in charge, also called for anyone who has information related to Floyd’s case to come forward, saying, “no tip is too small.”

Finally -- when asked how it's possible the police officer in the video seen pressing his knee on Floyd's neck hasn't been charged yet -- Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he will not be quick to rush to justice.

He stated there is certainly evidence that suggests a criminal charge could be coming, but also said, "There is other evidence that does not warrant a criminal charge." Freeman strongly implied he wants to get this right, and only bring charges when he knows they will stick.

Sources connected to George Floyd's family tell TMZ ... the FBI contacted the family ahead of the news conference and said "justice will be done." It sounds like they may announce charges.

The FBI and local prosecutors in Minneapolis are about to hold a news conference to announce developments -- and possible charges -- in the George Floyd killing.

We're told the announcements will be significant, and possibly accelerated by the unrest in the City following the shocking and unjustified death of Floyd.

In fact, ahead of the news conference, Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies were lined up outside the D.A.'s Office.

The 4 officers involved have been fired, but there are cries for them to be prosecuted for murder.

The City has been gripped by 2 straight nights of protests, fires, tear gas ... and showdowns with police in riot gear.

Floyd's brother and cousin, along with the family lawyer, Ben Crump, appeared on "TMZ Live" and said there can be no justice unless criminal charges are filed. Congresswoman Maxine Waters said it's particularly appalling because she feels the officer who had his knee on George's neck for more than 5 minutes seemed to be enjoying it.

5/28 -- Stephen Jackson is now calling for prosecutors to go for the death penalty for the main police officer involved in the death of George Floyd.

"I know we not gon' get the death penalty but I'm goin for it," Jackson said Thursday morning on The Breakfast Club.

"Because the only way that they can stop kiling us is if they see one of their own sitting at the chair and fry for something they did and knowing that could be them."

"We had to see it, the world had to see it, my brother die then the world has to see one of them die. That's the only way we gon' get justice."

Jackson also said he spoke with the mother of Floyd's 6-year-old daughter ... who says she's still so shaken up, she hasn't broken the news to their child.

Jackson is NOT happy with Denver Nuggets player Michael Porter Jr.'s comments on George Floyd's death ... telling the young star to "go sit yo young Privileged ass down."

MPJ faced backlash when addressing the Floyd incident on Wednesday when he tweeted, "As much as you pray for George family, gotta also pray for the police officer(s) who were involved in this evil."

He continued ... "As hard as it is, pray for them instead of hate them...Pray that God changes their hearts."

Jackson got wind of MPJ's words and spoke his mind shortly after, saying "Either u with us or against us. @MPJr not now bruh f*k dat."

"Rest Easy Twin I don’t have a prob with u Youngin ain’t no time for that. Easy to say that nobody dying close to u. Pick a side."

"My boy was doing what he was supposed to be doing and ya'll go and kill my brother, man."

Stephen Jackson spent Tuesday emotionally reflecting on his time with George Floyd -- a man the former NBA star says he called "twin" -- and he's now demanding justice for the 46-year-old after officers appeared to have killed him Monday.

Jackson says he spent his childhood in the same Houston, Texas circles as Floyd ... and claims the two were so close, he had just sent the guy clothes days before his death this week.

"Floyd was my brother," Jackson said. "We called each other twins, bruh. Everybody knows me and Floyd called each other twins. My brother was only out there in Minnesota, he was trying to change his life."

42-year-old Jackson says he's now on his way to Minnesota ... and he's promising to help find justice for George after a cop pinned him down with a knee to the neck and wouldn't let go.

"I can't let this ride, dawg," Jackson said. "Ya'll not going to be mad until it hits ya'll front door. Bullsh*t."

As we previously reported, Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minn. after officers responded to a call about a forgery in progress on Monday.

During the stop, officers held down George for several minutes ... despite the man telling cops he could not breathe.

The FBI is now investigating the incident ... while all four officers involved have been fired.

Police released new footage of George Floyd's arrest -- body cam from an officer on the scene -- but it's puzzling why they released it, because it creates more questions than answers.

The video is from the point-of-view of the Minneapolis Park Police officer who pulled up while Floyd was already detained by Minneapolis PD cops. It shows the Park officer arriving to assist, but the video is heavily redacted. Much of the audio is muted, and no suspects' faces are shown, including Floyd's.

The Park Police officer was only briefly near the spot where Floyd was sitting, already handcuffed, with the PD officers. The closest this video comes to showing the crucial moment of the arrest is at the 1:30 mark.

After, the Park Police officer moves his vehicle closer to where the PD cops had George in custody. One of the PD officers quickly told the Park officer to go back across the street ... but you can hear the muffled sound of a struggle. It might be George's voice, but the video is blacked out, so we can't say for sure.

Park Police say this shows their officer was not near the incident, and couldn't have intervened. However, he's clearly aware of George's dire condition, because he tells the other suspects, "Right now, we're grabbing an ambulance for your buddy."

It's odd for cops to release this video first, because it sheds NO new light about how officer Derek Chauvin ended up putting his knee on George Floyd and killing him.

As you know, 4 Minn. PD officers involved in the arrest were fired -- the Park Police officer wasn't -- so it would be much more significant to release the PD cops' body cam footage, especially Chauvin's.

Of course, the new footage comes as pressure is mounting on police and the City of Minneapolis to get justice for George. Protests have broken out the past 2 nights, and some demonstrators turned to looting Wednesday night.

Far more tragically -- one person was killed during the violent protests and looting. Minneapolis police say a man was shot in the midst of the chaos. As you can see in video ... 2 officers respond to the gunshot victim and one administers CPR to try to save him. He was transferred to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Cops say they have a suspect in custody.

Rep. Maxine Waters says George Floyd's killing has her thinking some police officers wake up thinking, "I'm gonna get me one today," and she suspects George was this guy's one.

The Congresswoman from California joined us on "TMZ Live" and was outraged by Floyd's death at the hands of police, telling us it's got her reflecting on other killings of young black men by cops and white supremacists.

Waters says the Minneapolis cop who kept his knee jammed deep into Floyd's neck for several minutes actually "enjoyed doing it." She took it a step further with a theory about what goes through the minds of rogue police officers.

The way Rep. Waters sees it ... the cop was out for blood, and that's why he didn't care that citizens were not only witnessing his actions, but recording video of him slowly killing Floyd.

As for the other officers involved -- she's not letting them off the hook, criminally, either.

The Congresswoman says the police and white supremacists who think they can get away with killing a black person feel empowered because of "dog-whistling" from President Trump.

The girl who captured the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on video is not in a good space right now ... and it's all because of hate she's receiving online.

17-year-old Darnella Frazier tells TMZ ... she is utterly traumatized after recording the officer using his knee to suffocate George. Odd as it might sound, Darnella tells us a lot of people have criticized her for doing nothing more than shoot the encounter.

She says people on social media are telling her she should have done more to help George, like physically step in and intervene. While that emotion might be understandable, it's not really a practical notion for an African-American teenager.

Not just that, but folks are accusing Darnella of only posting the video for "clout" or attention, and possibly a payoff. She's vehemently refuted that.

She's also been facing a media frenzy surrounding her video -- dealing with reporters, and an onslaught of attention. And, of course, just witnessing George's death first-hand has scarred her as well, we're told.

Darnella's mother tells us her daughter was simply out making a store run, and never should have experienced this, including the nasty aftermath. She's concerned going forward because she says Darnella already suffers from social anxiety.

However, Mom believes her daughter was where she needed to be -- in order to capture the tragic event and share it with the world. To that point, without Darnella's video, we might not know what really happened.

As for those saying she should have done more. Keep in mind, she and several others on the scene shouted for several minutes at the officers ... pleading with them that George was dying.

The fact is ... Darnella's video could ultimately be the evidence that brings George's killer to justice. Internet trolls should think about that before attacking a teenage girl.

Some of the people protesting George Floyd's killing are resorting to looting ... as the tensions between citizens and cops in Minneapolis continue to escalate.

As the second day of demonstrations continued Wednesday -- hundreds came face-to-face with officers armed with riot gear -- some groups of protesters started looting a Target store.

As you can see in the video, folks are piling tons of goods into carts and baskets. The looters are running off with TVs, groceries and clothes.

The Target store is near the intersection where Floyd was killed after a now-fired cop killed him during an arrest for an alleged forgery.

As we reported ... footage of the incident shows an officer pressing his knee down on George's neck for several minutes, ignoring Floyd's pleas that he could not breathe, all while witnesses recorded video and shouted at officers that George was slowly dying.

The protests began in earnest Tuesday night in Minneapolis, with demonstrators clashing with cops who fired tear gas canisters and pepper spray into the crowd.

Less violent protests have sprung up across the country too ... including one very large one moving through Los Angeles.

Demonstrators from Black Lives Matter are protesting Floyd's death, and the protest has engulfed an overpass near the 101 Freeway.

President Trump is speaking out about the killing of George Floyd, saying federal law enforcement is on the case ... and promising there will be justice.

POTUS tweeted Wednesday about George's death, saying ... "At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd."

He went on to say, "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!"

It's interesting ... we already knew the FBI was involved, but the fact the DOJ is jumping in right away as well is pretty telling. Seems the President is aware of how angry and fed up millions of Americans are after seeing the video of George's killing.

It's a more emphatic reaction than he had several days after the video surfaced of Ahmaud Arbery getting shot to death -- saying it was a horrible thing, and he was awaiting the results of several investigations.

In any case, it's good to see the case has caught the attention of the most powerful person in the country ... who can actually do something about this at the highest level.

John Boyega sees what's happening to black people here in the U.S. -- specifically, the killing of George Floyd -- and he has a message to racist white Americans who might also be his fans.

The 'Star Wars' actor went on an epic tirade Wednesday, going IN on "racist white people" who in any way, shape or form tolerate and/or downplay what's happening in our streets ... namely, the killing of unarmed, innocent African-Americans.

You gotta see this for yourself, John's very heated as he calls George Floyd's death part of a continuous cycle that he sees here in the States -- black men being killed by either cops or vigilantes trying to play cops. He says that's enough for him to stay away -- presumably in England, his home country.

John goes on to lay into ANYONE who's a fan -- and who's also a racist -- telling 'em to get off his page, off his timeline and out of his circle ... 'cause he ain't having it.

Interestingly, he also makes it clear that he doesn't care what this rant of his might mean for his career. There's a good reason for that though ... JB says he's "not Hollywood."

Elon Musk is looking to make more space history ... SpaceX is attempting to launch 2 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station ... and TMZ will be live streaming the mission.

Dubbed Demo-2, the mission marks the first time ever a commercial aerospace company is sending humans into Earth's orbit. The milestone is a decade in the making, as human spaceflight finally returns to American soil.

The launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon is set for 4:33 PM ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida ... and the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the capsule is taking off from the historic Pad 39A, which famously launched Apollo 11 way back in 1969, the first moon landing.

SpaceX and NASA are streaming the launch from takeoff all the way until Crew Dragon docks with the ISS, and it should take the capsule about 19 hours to travel from Florida to the space station.

The two veteran astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft are 49-year-old Robert Behnken and 53-year-old Douglas Hurley.

NASA says it wants to keep the astronauts on the ISS until another Crew Dragon capsule is ready to send more humans on SpaceX's next mission. Robert and Douglas say they're expecting to spend 1 to 3 months in space before returning home in Crew Dragon, which will land in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon into Earth's upper atmosphere, where the capsule will separate and use its own thrusters to make its way to the ISS. The capsule is fully autonomous, so the astronauts won't have much to do, unless something crazy happens. The rocket, meanwhile, should land on a drone ship after launch.

SpaceX has a $2.6 BILLION contract with NASA ... and the launch marks the first time the United States is sending its own astronauts into space since 2011, when the Space Shuttle Program ended.

Oh, and the capsule has a toilet, which could come in handy during the 19-hour ride.

George Floyd's family wants the 4 officers involved in his death arrested, charged and tried for murder -- as their attorney says America needs a state of emergency ... to protect black people.

George's brother, Philonise Floyd, and cousin, Tera Brown, spoke with us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and reacted to the surveillance video showing the initial moment George was put in handcuffs.

They were, understandably, distraught over what we've all seen in the footage -- George peacefully responding as an officer arrested him ... never physically resisting arrest.

Philonise told us his brother was beloved by everyone who knew him, and said he wasn't shocked to see George was NOT resisting ... as the Minneapolis police first suggested in a statement about the incident.

His brother and cousin got emotional explaining what it was like watching the original video showing George slowly get killed on camera. When we asked what Philonise and Tera would like to see happen now, they didn't hesitate -- both want all the officers there on the scene, especially the one kneeling on George, to be arrested for murder.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed the family's words during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, where he called for the Hennepin County District Attorney to charge the officer whose knee cut off George's airway.

Frey said the Floyd family "deserves justice."

We also spoke to the family's attorney, Ben Crump -- and he told us he is now demanding an executive order be issued announcing a state of emergency for protection of all African-Americans.

Everyone wants to shake their booty when they hear Megan Thee Stallion ... especially in the animal kingdom!!!

Yes, even wild bears are classy, bougie and ratchet when they hear some MTS ... and this pole dancing bear is a straight up SAVAGE!!!

Check out this wild video straight outta the mean streets of Bear Country USA in South Dakota ... where the bears are sassy, moody, nasty, and acting stupid by grinding their bear-y big badunkadunks on any pole in sight.

This furry MTS fan got off all fours to grind all up and down this pole in the middle of the drive-thru wildlife park, deep in the heart of the Black Hills.

The bear is giving Megan a run for her money in the twerking department ... and the best part is the arms moving and grooving to MTS' "Savage" beat.

The Hennepin County D.A. just responded to the Mayor's call for charges to be brought against the officer who kneeled on Floyd, saying ... "In order to bring charges and obtain a guilty verdict, there are very specific parts of the law which must be met in prosecuting any crime of violence."

The statement continues ... "The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is working as quickly as possible to gather the necessary evidence and we will expeditiously review the case when we receive the case file and make our decision."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is calling for charges to be brought against the still-unnamed officer who kneeled on George Floyd, eventually suffocating him.

Frey said, "if you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now." He wants the Hennepin County D.A. to bring the officer to justice.

Before George Floyd was pinned to the ground by a cop's knee -- and ultimately killed -- he was cuffed by a different officer and seemed to be cooperating ... according to new surveillance footage.

A nearby restaurant, Dragon Wok, captured the initial moments of George's run-in with Minneapolis police on a camera set up outside. Based on the video, this started as a traffic stop of some sort, which ended with George being led away in cuffs.

The video shows 2 vehicles parked curbside, and eventually, 2 officers approach one of the cars and ask everyone to step out. A man and a woman emerge from the passenger side, while George is taken out by another officer on the driver's side ... seemingly struggling at first.

The cops get George to stand up and lead him over to the sidewalk where they sit him down. He isn't doing a whole lot of resisting the rest of the way.

Another police officer eventually arrived, and George was walked across the street and off camera. He was not being led by the officer who was eventually seen with his knee on George's neck.

Remember, police say they were responding to a call for a possible forgery. We're told an employee at a nearby business says George had attempted to pay with a $10 bill they suspected was counterfeit and, as is company policy, had reported it to police.

The surveillance video was released by Dragon Wok's owner Rashad West, who says he wanted to put it out for his community.

It's important to note the video does not show what happened immediately before the officer put the full force of his knee on George's neck ... despite pleas from George of not being able to breathe.

As you know, George's killing sparked violent protests Tuesday evening in Minneapolis. The 4 officers involved have been fired, and the Mayor has called George's death a failure on the part of the police.

Archie Williams has a second chance at life after spending nearly 4 decades locked up for a crime he didn't commit ... and Elton John's here for it.

Archie's already the fan favorite for the new season of "America's Got Talent," not only because of his smooth and soulful singing voice, but because of his incredible backstory that has everyone pulling for him ... including Sir Elton.

'AGT' released Archie's segment -- including his performance of John's 1974 hit, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- to hype up the return of the talent competition Tuesday night ... and Elton said he was "moved to tears" by it.

He added ... "The courage and forgiveness shown by him is truly inspiring. The same spirit that the world found so inspiring with Nelson Mandela."

Here's Williams's story -- when he was 22, he was accused of raping and stabbing a white woman in Baton Rouge. Despite being home asleep at the time of the assault -- and having no connection to the crime scene -- the woman repeatedly ID'd him as her rapist.

Archie was convicted in 1983 for attempted murder, aggravated rape and aggravated burglary and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Thankfully, the Innocence Project took up his case in the '90s, and after years of working on it ... Archie was finally exonerated by DNA evidence in early 2019. He spent nearly 37 years in a Louisiana prison before the charges were dropped and he was freed.