Murder of George Floyd

"George Floyd" redirects here. For the football player, see George Floyd (American football). For other uses, see George Floyd (disambiguation).

Killing of George Floyd

A frame from a video of the event taken by an onlooker. Police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on Floyd's neck.
Date	May 25, 2020 (2020-05-25)
Time	c. 8:08–8:28 pm (CDT)
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates	44.9343°N 93.2624°W / 44.9343; -93.2624
Deaths	George Floyd
Burial	To be held in Houston on June 9
Charges	Third-degree murder (Chauvin) Second-degree manslaughter (Chauvin)
Location of Minneapolis, where the incident took place, in Hennepin County and in the state of Minnesota.

On May 25, 2020, George Perry Floyd, an African-American man, was killed in the Powderhorn community of Minneapolis, Minnesota. While Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on a city street during an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a white American Minneapolis police officer, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time occurred after Floyd became unresponsive. Officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas K. Lane participated in Floyd's arrest, with Kueng holding Floyd's back, Lane holding his legs, and Thao looking on and preventing intervention by an onlooker as he stood nearby.

The arrest was made after Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a market. Police said Floyd physically resisted arrest. Some media organizations commented that a security camera from a nearby business did not show Floyd resisting. The criminal complaint filed later said that based on body camera footage, Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe while standing outside the police car, resisted getting in the car and intentionally fell down. Several bystanders recorded the event on their smartphones, with one video showing Floyd repeating "Please", "I can't breathe", "Mama", and "Don't kill me" being widely circulated on social media platforms and broadcast by the media. While knee-to-neck restraints are allowed in Minnesota under certain circumstances, Chauvin's usage of the technique has been widely criticized by law enforcement experts as excessive. All four officers were fired the day after the incident.

Two autopsies of Floyd were conducted; both ruled that the manner of death was homicide. The autopsy report from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner found that Floyd died from a cardiac arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officers, noting significant conditions such as "arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication; and recent methamphetamine use". An independent private autopsy commissioned by Floyd's family found that the "evidence is consistent with mechanical asphyxia as the cause" of Floyd's death, with neck compression restricting blood and oxygen to the brain, while back compression restricted breathing.

The FBI is conducting a federal civil rights investigation at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is also investigating possible violations of Minnesota statutes. On May 29, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd's death, with Hennepin County attorney Michael O. Freeman saying he anticipated charges to be brought against the other three officers at the scene; no indictments or charges have been filed against the three officers as of June 1.

After Floyd's death, demonstrations and protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area were initially peaceful on May 26, and later that day became violent as a police precinct and two stores were set on fire, and many stores were looted and damaged. Some demonstrators skirmished with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Additional protests developed in over 200 cities throughout all 50 states in the United States as well as internationally. Floyd's death has been compared to the 2014 death of Eric Garner. Garner, also an unarmed black man, repeated "I can't breathe" eleven times after being placed in a chokehold by a New York police officer during an arrest in Staten Island, New York.

People involved

George Floyd
Floyd in 2016
Born	George Perry Floyd October 14, 1973 Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	May 25, 2020(2020-05-25) (aged 46) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

George Perry Floyd (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was a 46-year-old African-American man who was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and raised in Houston, Texas. He attended Yates High School, where he played on the basketball and football teams. Floyd was a star tight end for Yates, helping them to the 1992 state championship final game. He attended South Florida Community College (now South Florida State College) from 1993 to 1995 and played on the school's basketball team. Floyd returned to Houston, where he joined the hip hop group Screwed Up Click and rapped under the stage name "Big Floyd", after entering the Houston Hip Hop cultural scene as an automotive customizer. Floyd also had a brief career as a pornographic actor appearing in at least one film. In 2014, Floyd moved to Minnesota. He lived in St. Louis Park and worked in nearby Minneapolis as a restaurant security guard for five years, but lost his job due to Minnesota's stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic. Floyd was the father of two daughters, ages 6 and 22, who remained in Houston.

Derek Michael Chauvin, age 44, had been an officer in the Minneapolis Police Department since around 2001. Chauvin had 18 complaints on his official record, two of which ended in discipline from the department, including official letters of reprimand. He had been involved in three police shootings, one of which was fatal. According to former club owner Maya Santamaria, Floyd and Chauvin both worked as security guards and had overlapping shifts at the Latin nightclub, El Nuevo Rodeo. She said Chauvin had worked there for 17 years, while Floyd had worked at about a dozen events. She said it was not clear if they knew each other but that she did not believe so. Santamaria said Chauvin at times had used overly aggressive tactics when dealing with black clientele, responding to fights by taking out his mace and spraying the crowd, a tactic she told him was unjustified "overkill".

Tou Thao, age 34, attended the police academy in 2009 and was hired to a full-time position with the Minneapolis police in 2012 after being laid off for two years. Six police conduct complaints had been filed against Thao, none resulting in disciplinary action. In 2014, Thao was accused of brutality when his arrest of an African-American man resulted in the man's broken teeth and hospitalization. The victim stated he had been handcuffed without cause, and was then thrown to the ground and "punched, kicked, and kneed", and humiliated. The resulting excessive-use-of-force lawsuit was ultimately settled out of court for $25,000.

Thomas K. Lane, age 37, and J. Alexander Kueng, age 26, were licensed as law enforcement officers in August 2019. Neither had prior complaints on their records.

Arrest and death

1 2

The site of the arrest at Chicago Avenue and 38th Street, May 30, 2020 1 Location where Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck 2 Location of the bystander who recorded video of the incident

Sequence of events

On the evening of Monday, May 25, 2020, George Floyd purchased a pack of cigarettes at Cup Foods, located at the intersection of East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd frequented the store. A store employee believed the $20 bill proffered by Floyd to be counterfeit.

Shortly before 8:00 pm CDT, two Cup Foods employees walked outside the store and across the street to confront Floyd, who was in the driver's seat of a blue Mercedes SUV, along with two other people, parked in front of a Dragon Wok restaurant. The employees demanded of Floyd that he return the cigarettes. He did not. The interaction was filmed by the Dragon Wok's security camera. At 8:01 pm, a store employee phoned 9-1-1 and told the dispatcher that Floyd have given them "fake bills" to buy cigarettes and was "awfully drunk" and "not in control of himself".

At 8:08 pm, Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers Thomas K. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng walked into Cup Foods. At 8:09 pm, Lane and Kueng left the store and walked across the street to Floyd's SUV. Lane approached Floyd's SUV, drew his gun, and ordered Floyd to put his hands on the steering wheel. He holstered his weapon after Floyd complied. A bystander in a Mercury SUV parked behind Floyd's SUV began to record the encounter with his phone at 8:10 pm. Following a brief struggle, Lane pulled Floyd from the SUV, handcuffed him, and told him he was being arrested for passing counterfeit currency.

At 8:12 pm, Kueng sat Floyd, still handcuffed, on the sidewalk against the wall in front of the restaurant. At 8:13 pm, an officer stood Floyd on his feet and walked him across the street to the sidewalk in front of the store. Around 8:14 pm, Floyd fell to the ground next to the police cruiser parked in front of the store. The officers picked him up and placed him against the door of their vehicle. According to local prosecutors, Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic and couldn't breathe. A Minneapolis Park Police officer arrived in response to Lane and Kueng's request for assistance, and guarded Floyd's vehicle and its occupants across the street.

At 8:17 pm, a third police cruiser arrived, with MPD officers Derek Michael Chauvin and Tou Thao. They walked over to assist Lane and Kueng. Around 8:18 pm, security footage from Cup Foods shows Kueng struggling with Floyd for at least a minute in the driver's side backseat while Thao watches. A criminal complaint filed against Chauvin "alleges Floyd refused to enter the car, even after officers moved him from the driver's side to the passenger's side. At 8:19 pm, standing on the passenger's side of the vehicle, Chauvin pulled Floyd through the backseat, from the driver's side to the passenger's side, and out of the car, causing Floyd to fall onto the ground, where, still handcuffed, he lay on the pavement. Floyd stopped moving around 8:20 pm.

Multiple witnesses began to film the encounter; their videos were circulated widely on the internet. At 8:20 pm, a bystander at the Speedway LLC gas station across the intersection began recording video on their phone showing Floyd face down on the pavement with Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, Kueng applying pressure to Floyd's torso, and Lane applying pressure to Floyd's legs, while Thao stood nearby. Floyd can be heard repeatedly saying "I can't breathe", "please, please, please", "please, man", and calling for his mother. The bystander stopped filming when Lane, apparently, told him to walk away. Also at 8:20 pm, a second person, standing near the entrance of Cup Foods, began recording video of Floyd pinned down by Chauvin's knee and uploaded it to Facebook hours later. According to The New York Times, these two bystander videos show Floyd telling officers he can't breathe at least 16 times in less than five minutes.

At approximately 8:22 pm, the officers called for an ambulance. They initially requested a non-emergency "code two" then escalated the urgency to an emergency "code three". Chauvin continued to keep Floyd pinned down after the ambulance was called. An unknown person asked Floyd, "What do you want?" Floyd answered, "I can't breathe, please, the knee in my neck, I can't breathe". Another person said, "Well, get up, get in the car, man", and Floyd, still handcuffed and face down on the pavement, responded, "I can't", while Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck.

By 8:25 pm, Floyd appeared unconscious, and bystanders confronted the officers about Floyd's condition, urging them to check his pulse. Kueng checked Floyd's right wrist but could not find a pulse; the officers did not move. The officers did not attempt to provide Floyd with any medical treatment while waiting for the ambulance. According to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, Lane asked Chauvin twice if they should move Floyd onto his side, and Chauvin said no.

At 8:27 pm, a Hennepin County ambulance arrived. Shortly thereafter, a young relative of the owner of Cup Foods attempted to intervene and stop the police officers, but was pushed back by Thao. The emergency medical technicians (EMTs) checked Floyd's pulse. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for almost a minute after the EMTs arrived, despite Floyd appearing unresponsive.

Around 8:28 pm, after being told to do so by EMTs, Chauvin lifted his knee off of Floyd's neck, having kept it there for eight minutes and forty-six seconds, according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin. Around 8:29 pm, a motionless Floyd was placed on a stretcher and loaded into the ambulance, which left the scene and headed to Hennepin County Medical Center, calling the Minneapolis Fire Department for additional medical assistance en route.

At 8:32 pm, the fire department arrived at the scene. According to the fire department's report, the police officers gave no clear information regarding Floyd's condition or whereabouts, which delayed their ability to assist the ambulance. Meanwhile, the ambulance carrying Floyd again called for assistance from the fire department, asking them to meet at the corner of 36th Street and Park Avenue, and reporting that Floyd was going into cardiac arrest. Five minutes later, the fire department reached the ambulance. Two fire department medics who boarded the ambulance described Floyd in their report as an "unresponsive, pulseless male".

Floyd was pronounced dead at 9:25 pm at the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room, according to the incident report.

Arrest

External videos
George Floyd Death as filmed by a bystander
Security camera footage

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on May 25, Memorial Day, Minneapolis Police Department officers responded to a "forgery in progress" on Chicago Avenue South in the Powderhorn community of Minneapolis. According to WCCO, the implication was that Floyd "tried to use forged documents at a nearby deli". According to a co-owner of Cup Foods, Floyd attempted to use a $20 bill that a staff member believed counterfeit. According to police, Floyd was in a nearby car and "appeared to be under the influence". A spokesman for the police department said the officers ordered him to exit the vehicle, at which point he "physically resisted". In the days following the arrest, these statements appeared to be contradicted by the release of a bystander's video recording, though one video showed that "Officer [Chauvin] struggles to get Floyd out of the car." Later, the criminal complaint filed in court by the Hennepin County attorney on May 29 said Floyd "did not voluntarily get in the car and struggled with the officers by intentionally falling down, saying he was not going in the car, and refusing to stand still." Surveillance footage from a nearby restaurant showed Floyd falling twice while being escorted by the officers.

A bystander video, taken from inside a vehicle, shows Floyd being removed from his vehicle. Vice describes that Floyd "doesn't appear to be resisting – just standing next to his car." The Independent wrote, "The video shows two policemen pulling Mr. Floyd from his car without any apparent resistance."

A six-minute video from a security camera of a nearby restaurant was provided to the news media. It shows two officers removing a man from a vehicle. The man is handcuffed and brought to a sidewalk, where he sits down. A third officer arrives. Later, an officer helps the man stand up again, and two officers bring the man to a police vehicle, where the man falls onto the ground. While police initially claimed that Floyd had resisted arrest, this surveillance video "shows officers calmly detaining him", according to CBS News. The surveillance video "does not support police claims that George Floyd resisted arrest", wrote CNN.

Statements from the police and prosecutor

As of May 31, the video from the body cameras worn by Lane and Kueng have not been publicly released. The videos from their cameras were turned over to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The Minneapolis Park Police Department  – governed by separate elected officials from the Minneapolis Police Department  – had one officer at the location of Floyd's detainment who also wore a body camera. The park police released a heavily redacted version of the officer's body-cam footage on May 28. The footage showed the park police officer reassuring two passengers from Floyd's car that an ambulance would arrive at the scene, and telling them to "stay put". CNN noted the officer was "not facing the direction of the incident when it happened".

According to the Minneapolis police, officers "were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress", and called for an ambulance. No weapons were used in the arrest, according to a statement from the Minneapolis police. Paramedics from the Minneapolis Fire Department moved Floyd from the location and attempted chest compressions and other lifesaving measures on an "unresponsive, pulseless male". Floyd was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:25 p.m.

Videos of his death

Initial viral video

The most complete footage of the arrest was recorded by a bystander and uploaded to Facebook, which quickly went viral. Chauvin is seen on video applying pressure with his knee to Floyd's neck while his hand appears to be in his pocket. Former police officers were critical of Chauvin's left hand appearing to be in his pocket, as if he was striking a casual pose or relaxing as Floyd warned police about his struggle to breathe. Video footage shows, however, that Chauvin was wearing dark gloves and resting his gloved hand on the leg of his similarly-colored trousers.

When the video starts, Floyd is already pinned chest down to the ground, and Officer Chauvin is kneeling on his neck. Floyd repeatedly tells Chauvin "Please" and "I can't breathe", while also moaning, groaning, and sobbing. A bystander tells police, "You got him down. Let him breathe." Bystanders moved towards Chauvin and the officer pulls something out, resulting in one person saying he has mace.[1]

After Floyd says "I'm about to die", Chauvin tells Floyd to relax. The police ask Floyd, "What do you want?" Floyd answers, "I can't breathe." Floyd states: "Please, the knee in my neck, I can't breathe." Someone tells Floyd to "get up and get in the car" (which Agence France Presse, CBS News and WVLT-TV identify as one of the officers, while Buzzfeed News says it is "unclear" whether it was an officer speaking), to which Floyd replies, "I will ... I can't move." Chauvin would continue to kneel on Floyd's neck as he struggled. Floyd cries out, "Mama!" Floyd says, "My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts", and requests water. The police do not audibly respond to Floyd. Floyd begs, "Don't kill me."

Chauvin was described as having "pressed his knee" into Floyd's neck as he begged for air. One bystander points out that Floyd is bleeding from the nose. Another tells the police that Floyd is "not even resisting arrest right now". The police tell the bystanders that Floyd was "talking, he's fine"; a bystander replies that Floyd "ain't fine". The bystander protests that the police were preventing Floyd from breathing, urging them, "Get him off the ground ... You could have put him in the car by now. He's not resisting arrest or nothing. You're enjoying it. Look at you. Your body language."

Floyd goes silent and motionless, but Chauvin does not lift his knee from Floyd's neck. The bystanders protest that Floyd is "not responsive", and repeatedly ask the police to check Floyd's pulse. A bystander questions, "Did they fucking kill him?"

An ambulance eventually arrives, and Chauvin does not remove his knee until emergency medical services put Floyd on a stretcher. He is loaded into the ambulance, and taken away. A male bystander says that the police "just really killed" Floyd. This video showed that Chauvin had knelt on Floyd's neck for at least seven minutes.

Other videos

A video of the incident from a different angle showed "three officers have Floyd pinned on the ground, while another stands over him", reported CBS Evening News. The Wall Street Journal described it as "three officers are seen sitting on" Floyd.

A heavily-redacted body camera footage was released by the park police for the public, though it wasn't about the arrest of Floyd itself. Instead, it apparently shows two officers questioning two people near a store. According to Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto, the video was from the body camera of an officer 118 feet away from the scene of Floyd's arrest.

Aftermath

On May 26, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced that the officers were placed on leave. Later in the day, the four responding officers were fired.

On May 27, misinformation targeting Chauvin began to circulate on social media. Particularly prominent were claims that Chauvin was the subject of a photo wearing a "Make Whites Great Again" hat and that Chauvin was onstage with President Donald Trump at a political rally; both claims were later proven to be false.

On May 29, Robert Paule, the attorney for Tou Thao, confirmed Thao had left Minnesota and was "safely elsewhere", refusing to comment further. While J. Alexander Kueng was thought to be staying with his family in Minneapolis, Thomas Lane had left the area for an unknown location as of May 29, according to a relative.

County charges

Chauvin was arrested on May 29, becoming the first white officer in Minnesota to be charged for the death of a black civilian. Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman charged him with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder is defined as causing another's death without intent to kill, but "evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life". Second-degree manslaughter also does not imply lethal intent, but that the perpetrator created "an unreasonable risk" of serious harm or death. Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for Floyd's family, called for a first-degree charge for Chauvin, which requires an intent to kill.

Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman said he also anticipated charges for the three other officers.

Federal law enforcement response

On May 26, the FBI announced it was reviewing the incident. On May 28, the United States Department of Justice released a joint statement with the FBI, saying they had made the investigation into Floyd's death "a top priority". They said they had assigned experienced prosecutors and FBI criminal investigators to the matter, and outlined the investigation's next steps: a "comprehensive investigation will compile all available information and thoroughly evaluate evidence and information obtained from witnesses ... If it is determined that there has been a violation of federal law, criminal charges will be sought." The Wall Street Journal categorized this statement from the Justice Department as "notably strong", given that the department "often takes a more muted tone in describing continuing investigations".

Autopsies

Hennepin County medical examiner findings

On May 26, 2020, an autopsy was performed on Floyd by the Hennepin County medical examiner.

On May 29, the criminal complaint against Chauvin was publicly released by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. With the full report of the Hennepin County medical examiner yet to be released at the time, the criminal complaint instead cited "preliminary findings" by the Hennepin County medical examiner. The complaint cited preliminary results that the autopsy "revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation", but found that Floyd suffered from coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The complaint cited the autopsy's speculation that the "combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death."

On June 1, the Hennepin County medical examiner issued a press release of the autopsy's "final findings". It classified Floyd's death as a homicide, caused by "a cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained" by law enforcement. It was noted that law enforcement subjected Floyd to "subdual, restraint, and neck compression". It lastly noted other "significant conditions": arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication, and recent methamphetamine use.

Private medical examiner findings

On May 29, Dr. Michael Baden said that he had been retained by Floyd's family to carry out a private autopsy on Floyd. Baden is a pathologist and a former New York City chief medical examiner who had also conducted a second autopsy on Eric Garner. On May 30, Floyd's family's legal team confirmed that they had hired Baden and also Dr. Allecia Wilson to conduct an autopsy. Wilson is the director of autopsy and forensic services at the University of Michigan Medical School.

On May 31, a private autopsy commissioned by Floyd's family was conducted. On June 1, Wilson stated the finding of the private autopsy that the "evidence is consistent with mechanical asphyxia as the cause" of Floyd's death, and that the death was a homicide. Baden said that Floyd died from "asphyxia due to compression of the neck", which affects the "blood flow and oxygen going into the brain", and also from "compression of the back, which interferes with breathing". Baden said that Floyd "had no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to his death", and he also said it was "not true" that being able to talk shows that someone could breathe properly.

Memorials and protests

Main articles: George Floyd protests and List of George Floyd protests

An "I CAN'T BREATHE" sign in reference to Floyd's final words

Protesters gather at the site on May 26, the day after Floyd's death.

Protesters march on May 26.

Terrence Floyd, George Floyd's brother visits the location where his brother was killed, June 1

A makeshift memorial near the bus stop where the incident occurred, photographed on May 27

Damaged building after protests, May 28

In the wake of community outrage in Minneapolis, the place where Floyd died in front of the store and the surrounding area became a makeshift memorial throughout May 26, with many placards paying tribute to him and referencing the Black Lives Matter movement. As the day progressed, more people showed up to demonstrate against Floyd's death. The crowd, estimated to be in the hundreds of people, then marched to the 3rd Precinct of the Minneapolis Police. Participants used posters and slogans with phrases such as "Justice for George", "I Can't Breathe", and "Black Lives Matter".

Although the protests on the first day were initially peaceful, a smaller group of protesters vandalized the 3rd Precinct, breaking a window, and also vandalized police cars. However some video evidence has pointed out that Minneapolis police may have exacerbated the riots by sending plain clothes police officers to vandalize stores. This led to police officers in riot gear using tear gas and flash grenades on the protesters, while some protesters threw rocks and other objects at the police. The police also used rubber bullets and smoke bombs against the protesters. The media has highlighted the apparent differences in aggression between the police response to black protesters in these protests versus the more measured response to the 2020 United States anti-lockdown protests featuring gun-wielding white protesters. This sentiment also spread on social media.

Those protests later became violent, which continued for days. As of June 2, the Star Tribune estimated 308 businesses across the Twin Cities region had been vandalized or entirely destroyed, including 41 in Minneapolis and 3 in St. Paul "destroyed by fire."

Following protests, a nighttime curfew in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Dakota County was established on May 29. 500 Minnesota National Guard soldiers were later dispatched to the area to enforce the curfew, but to little effect, with about 1,000 protesters being able to march peacefully on Interstate 35 well into curfew.

The family of Floyd announced on June 2, a public memorial to be held on June 8 at The Fountain of Praise Church in Houston. A private service will be held at an undisclosed location on June 9. According to the statement released by the family, professional boxer Floyd Mayweather will pay for the services. The same day another public memorial service, this time held at North Central University on June 4, was announced. Reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.

Protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd sprang up in more than 100 cities, including New York City; Los Angeles; Toronto; Mashhad; Milan; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Des Moines; Houston; Louisville; Memphis; Charlotte, North Carolina; Oakland; Portland, Oregon; San Jose; Seattle; outside the White House in Washington; outside Chauvin's summer home in Windermere, Florida; and in many other locations. On May 30, 12 states (including Minnesota) called up the National Guard, and at least 12 major cities imposed curfews on Saturday night.

Reactions

Further information: George Floyd protests

Family and friends

Floyd's cousin and two brothers were interviewed by CNN. His cousin, Tera Brown, criticized the police, saying, "They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn't see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life." One of his brothers echoed the sentiment, saying, "They could have tased him; they could have maced him. Instead, they put their knee in his neck and just sat on him and then carried on. They treated him worse than they treat animals." Floyd's brother, Philonese, called for peace and said, "Everybody has a lot of pain right now, that's why this is happening, I'm tired of seeing black people dying."

Floyd's longtime friend, former professional basketball player Stephen Jackson, expressed his anger and sadness following the death, saying the arrest video "just destroyed me".

Floyd's girlfriend asked for the community to respond to his death in a way that honors him. She said: "You can't fight fire with fire. Everything just burns, and I've seen it all day – people hate, they're hating, they're hating, they're mad. And he would not want that."

Floyd's uncle, Selwyn Jones, told the Rapid City Journal: "The thing that disturbs me the most is hearing him call for my sister." Jones also said he expressed disgust about the video to his wife before he knew the identity of the victim. He also spoke out at a memorial rally in Rapid City, South Dakota near where he lives.

The wife of Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, filed for divorce and offered her condolences to the Floyd family.

Political

Minneapolis and Minnesota

Minneapolis City Councillor Andrea Jenkins, who represented Ward 8, where the incident occurred, was quoted as saying, "My heart is breaking for the tragic loss of life last night near 38th and Chicago. Our community continues to be traumatized again, and again and again. We must demand answers." Governor Tim Walz, in a press conference on the morning of May 29, said "we have to restore order" before actions can be taken to serve justice and address the issues which caused Floyd's death. Walz also announced that he had activated the National Guard. The day prior, Walz used the National Guard to quell the unrest resulting from Floyd's death.

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said, "Being black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a black man's neck ... When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." The day after Floyd's death, the Mayor called the termination of the responding officers "the right call". Two days after Floyd's death, Mayor Frey highlighted the racial nature of Floyd's death, and called for Chauvin to be criminally charged: "If most people, particularly people of color, had done what a police officer did late Monday, they'd already be behind bars. That's why today I'm calling on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to charge the arresting officer in this case." In an interview with CBS that evening, Frey was asked: "Do you think that was murder?" He replied: "I do."

Representative Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota's 5th congressional district (which includes Minneapolis), called for a federal investigation, saying, "It is sickening to watch this black man be killed while helplessly begging for help." She later added, "The police officer who killed George Floyd should be charged with murder." Senator Tina Smith and Governor Tim Walz also called for immediate action. Senator Amy Klobuchar reacted on the following day, saying, "We heard his repeated calls for help. We heard him say over and over again that he could not breathe. And now we have seen yet another horrifying and gut wrenching instance of an African American man dying." She called for the declaration on "a complete and thorough outside investigation into what occurred, and those involved in this incident must be held accountable". However, as a former Hennepin County attorney, she was criticized for declining to press criminal charges against police during her eight years in that office, including against Chauvin; some called for her resignation from the Senate.

Federal

President Donald Trump sent his condolences two days later via Twitter, saying he requested that the FBI conduct a thorough investigation. He added, "My heart goes out to George's family and friends. Justice will be served!" Trump also described Floyd's death as "sad and tragic". He sparked controversy following the publication of a tweet on May 29 that read, "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!" A week later, on June 1, President Trump threatened to deploy the military to stop the protests if state could not manage them by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807. The comments, made in a press statement in the White House rose garden, drew favorable responses from Republican lawmakers; it also swift condemnation from Democrats, supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, and media commentators as a threat to violate the First Amendment rights of protestors in an authoritarian manner, citing his history of admiring autocratic political leaders and past comments expressing apparent support of the Chinese Communist Party's military crackdown on the pro-democracy 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Legal scholars noted that the Insurrection Act must require permission of individual state governments for military personnel to be deployed to certain locations, and invoking the act unilaterally could violate human rights regulations and federal laws restricting presidential authority to use the military on U.S. soil.

Former U.S. president Barack Obama tweeted a statement calling for a "new normal" that ends the legacy of institutional racism.

U.S. ambassadors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and China expressed concern and condemnation of the killing.

International

The British Labour Party's MPs Claudia Webbe and David Lammy criticized the death of Floyd. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that racism was real and existed in both the United States and Canada. He then urged Canadians to stand up against it.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned it as yet another killing of unarmed African-Americans, and called on the United States to take "serious action" and end the repeat of such killings. She also urged protestors to "express their demands for justice peacefully" and for police to refrain from further use of excessive force.

Countries criticized by the United States for violations of human rights used the incident to criticize the U.S. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said the United States had a history of systemic human rights abuse. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed Floyd's death on a "racist and fascist approach" by the United States and said Turkey will be monitoring the issue. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, retweeted a tweet saying people with dark skin faced being killed "in the next few minutes" if they walked out on American streets.

African Union officials, including the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, criticized the killing. U.S. embassies in Africa also condemned the incident, in a move that was described by the media as unusual.

The Dalai Lama, in India while teaching students, condemned the killing of George Floyd by saying, "there are some who even take it as a pride to be able to kill somebody."

The Foreign Ministry of China denounced the killing of George Floyd with the statement: "The death of George Floyd reflects the severity of racial discrimination and police brutality in the US".

Police

State and local

The local police union expressed support of the officers involved, saying, "The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis will provide full support to the involved officers." They also urged the public to remain calm, saying, "Now is not the time to rush to judgement and immediately condemn our officers."

The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association applauded Minneapolis Chief Arradondo's swift firing of the officers involved.

National

Police across the country were sharply critical of Chauvin's actions. Leaders from organizations which include hundreds of thousands of police officers condemned the conduct of the arrest. National Association of Police Organizations Executive Director William Johnson called the incident egregious, and said, "I don't know the entire story, but I can't see any legal justification, any self-defense justification, or any moral justification." Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes said authorities must ensure justice is served in Floyd's death, "whatever the consequences".

Police chief associations from across the country expressed dismay at Floyd's treatment. The heads of both the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) condemned what was seen on the video. The MCCA, led by Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, said, "The death of Mr. Floyd is deeply disturbing and should be of concern to all Americans. The officer's actions are inconsistent with the training and protocols of our profession and MCCA commends Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo for his swift and decisive action to terminate the employment of the officers involved." The National Police Foundation President said, "These actions, and inaction, jeopardize the gains that have been made through the sacrifices and courage of many."

Leaders of individual police departments from around the United States spoke out against the officer at the center of the video, with what The Washington Post called "disgust", and the Los Angeles Times called "blunt criticism". The Los Angeles Times said: "It was a rare moment when police leaders were unequivocal in their public disdain for the conduct of one of their own." Leaders condemning the officer's actions included the New York City Police Commissioner, the Sheriffs of Los Angeles and San Diego counties, and the Police Chiefs of Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Houston, and Austin, as well as a former Police Chief from Seattle. Police chiefs of smaller cities spoke out as well: Chiefs of Police from Buffalo Grove, Illinois; Tucson, Arizona; Round Rock, Texas; the University of Texas at Austin; Pflugerville, Texas; and Omaha, Nebraska, all issued statements against Floyd's treatment.

A deputy sheriff in Jones County, Mississippi was fired for posting on social media: "If he can scream he can breath (sic), something else was going on."

Academia

Experts on the use of force by police condemned Chauvin's actions. Mylan Masson, a longtime Minneapolis police officer and former director of the Hennepin Technical College's Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Center, which instructs approximately half of Minnesota's police officers, said a form of the technique seen in the video of Floyd's death was taught until at least 2016. He added, "Once the [officer] is in control, then you release. That's what use of force is: you use it 'til the threat has stopped." George Kirkham, a former police officer and professor emeritus at Florida State University's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said, "It was outrageous, excessive, unreasonable force under the circumstances. We're dealing with a [suspected] property offender. The man was prone on the ground. He was no threat to anyone." Seth Stoughton, an associate professor of law at the University of South Carolina, who was also a former police officer, said that placing suspects lying face-down with their hands handcuffed behind their backs for a long period of time was dangerous because it risked positional asphyxia. If an officer places their knee on a suspect's neck in this position, it could cause injury or even death.

Institutions

The University of Minnesota announced that it would be limiting ties with the Minneapolis Police Department, and that it would no longer contract the local police department for assistance at major events. Three members of the Minneapolis School Board will present a resolution at its next meeting on June 2, proposing to terminate its relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department.

Criticisms of neck restraints

Minneapolis police officers have a record of administering neck restraints at least 237 times since the beginning of 2015. This includes 44 people who were rendered unconscious. Several law enforcement professionals said the number of unconscious individuals as a result of this maneuver seems remarkably large. Neck restraints are defined by police "as when an officer uses an arm or leg to compress someone’s neck without directly pressuring the airway." As depicted on video, a policeman named Derek Chauvin applied his knee to George Floyd's neck while Floyd was handcuffed and lying prone on the ground. Such force was applied "for eight minutes — including nearly three minutes after he had stopped breathing."

The use of the choke hold maneuver known as a "neck restraint" has been derided by more than a dozen law enforcement officials, who were interviewed by NBC News. The news organization provided a summation of their views: "the particular tactic Chauvin used — kneeling on a suspect’s neck — is neither taught nor sanctioned by any police agency." A Minneapolis city official said, "Chauvin’s tactic is not permitted by the Minneapolis police department." In general, police departments' application of assorted types of neck restraints, described as choke holds, are decidedly circumscribed - if not plainly illegal. However, the online version of the Minneapolis Police Department’s policy manual authorizes the application of neck restraints "that can render suspects unconscious." Also it seems this protocol was last updated eight years ago.

Applying a knee to the neck of a man lying on his stomach is widely rejected by law enforcement professionals because it can cause suffocation. At the same time, keeping a man in a prone position, with hands cuffed behind his back is meant to be of very short duration and is seen as dangerous because breathing is immediately restricted in that position. "Someone in that position can draw enough breath to gasp or speak in spurts, but they can't breathe fully, so they gradually lose oxygen and fall unconscious." The individual has to be quickly rolled on his side, sat up, or stood up. Pressure on a detainees neck can "cause fatal damage" so the maneuver must be monitored closely for the well-being of the detainee. According to the Minneapolis department's manual, specialized training is required to use this maneuver. According to Minneapolis police policy this maneuver can only be used as a last resort when there is no other way to subdue a suspect who is belligerently resisting arrest. Chauvin's actions may have exceeded his purview.

See also

• Human rights in the United States
• List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States
• Police brutality in the United States

External links

• Complaint – State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin, Minnesota District Court, Fourth Judicial District, File No. 27-CR-20-12646. May 29, 2020.
• Press Release Report: Floyd George Perry, Case No: 2020-3700. Hennepin County Medical Examiner. June 1, 2020.