4 police officers fired in Minneapolis after video shows one kneeling on neck of black man who later died
4 officers fired after death
Colin Dacre - May 26, 2020 / 11:30 pm | Story: 301061
Photo: Contributed
Four police officers in Minneapolis have been fired for their part in the death of a black man, who yelled “I can’t breathe” as he was held down with a knee.
The death of George Floyd, 46, tore across social media Tuesday and drew hundreds of people to the streets of Minneapolis. Protestors carried “I can’t breathe” signs and chanted near the site of Monday’s incident, reports CNN.
The FBI is investigating the incident, which has resulted in four officers being terminated.
"I support your decisions, one hundred percent," said Mayor Jacob Frey, in support of the officer’s firings. "It is the right decision for our city. The right decision for our community, it is the right decision for the Minneapolis Police Department."
CNN reports officers were responding to an alleged forgery in progress Monday and were told a person fitting the description of the suspect was sitting in a car and under the influence.
Police said the man “physically resisted” when they tried to remove him from the car. When they handcuffed him, he “appeared to be suffering medical distress," according to police.
Floyd died in hospital shortly afterwards.
A video posted to social media of part of the arrest shows an officer with his knee into the back of Floyd’s neck as he screamed he could not breathe before going motionless.
Mayor Frey said that technique, pinning a person’s head to the ground with a knee, is against department regulations.
Warning: The video below contains disturbing imagery