"I Can't Breathe": Hundreds Protest Death Of African-American Who Died After Cop Knelt On His Neck

A video of a handcuffed black man dying while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for more than five minutes sparked a fresh furor in the US over police treatment of African Americans Tuesday.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey fired four police officers following the death in custody of George Floyd on Monday as the suspect was pressed shirtless onto a Minneapolis street, one officer's knee on his neck.

Floyd died late on Monday, when officers responded to a call from a grocery store that claimed Floyd had used a forged check. Police said Floyd “physically resisted officers” while possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In the video footage, witnesses can be heard shouting at officers to get off Floyd’s neck. One yells: “Bro, he’s not even fucking moving!” Another asks if “you’re going to just sit there with your knee on his neck?”

 A police officer throws a tear gas canister towards protesters. Photograph: Carlos Gonzalez/AP
In a press conference on Tuesday, the Minneapolis police department confirmed he “died a short time” after a “medical incident”, after being transported to hospital.

“[They] were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and realized that the suspect was suffering a medical distress,” a spokesman said, saying officers “called for an ambulance”.

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Four Minnesota police officers have been fired after the death of a black man who was taken into custody and seen on video being pinned down by his neck. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the four officers were now "former employees". Footage shows the man, George Floyd, groaning and repeatedly saying "I can't breathe" to the white officer. The incident echoed that of Eric Garner, a black man who died being arrested in New York City in 2014. The FBI has said it will investigate the Minneapolis incident, which took place on Monday evening. Minnesota police said 46-year-old Mr Floyd, who had worked providing security at a restaurant, died after a "medical incident" in a "police interaction". #blacklivesmatter #georgefloyd #blacklivesmatter #georgefloyd

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The Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, apologized to Floyd’s family on Tuesday morning, saying “[Floyd] should not have died.”

“For five minutes we watched as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man,” Frey said. “For five minutes. This officer failed in the most basic human sense.

The FBI and authorities in Minnesota announced on Tuesday they had launched an investigation into Floyd’s death, and the incident is being investigated by the FBI for possible civil rights violations. Four police officers involved in the incident have been fired.

Police and protesters clashed in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening following a demonstration at the intersection where George Floyd was killed. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the city on Tuesday evening to demand justice.

A large and diverse crowd had gathered at the start of the protest, with some carrying signs reading “I can’t breathe” and “Jail killer KKKops” and chanting “Prosecute the police.” Activists had blocked traffic for several blocks in every direction, and the crowd spilled out into the streets. . News choppers hovered overhead and TV camera operators had found their way on to the roof of the building across the street from where protesters spoke.

Just before I interviewed this man across the street from the third precinct, one of the officers in riot gear walked down the line of police chanting something close to "Take the precinct back," as if he were trying to pump them up. They repeated it, like a call and response. pic.twitter.com/OIjqUFb5zK

— Jared Goyette (@JaredGoyette) May 27, 2020

A group of riders from the Vital Kings, a black motorcyclist club based in St Paul, accompanied the protesters, revving their engines over and over, the ear-splitting noise reverberating off the concrete. “We wanted to make some noise for the crowd. This is my voice,” one of the riders said.

From the intersection, protesters marched through the neighborhood to a city police precinct, where a small but angry and persistent crowd faced off for hours with officers guarding the building.

At the precinct, as the rain came down heavily, windows were damaged and squad cars sprayed with graffiti. Protesters threw water and milk bottles at the officers, shouting “pigs” and “how could you”. Police fired green teargas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd approaching the station. Dozens of protesters gathered in a Target parking lot.