4 cops sacked in US after another black suspect killed during arrest
Print Edition
Four Minneapolis police officers were fired on Tuesday over the death of an unarmed black man seen in a video lying face down in the street, gasping for air and groaning, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 breathe,鈥 while a white officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.
Hours after the officers鈥 dismissals were announced, thousands of protesters filled the streets around the scene of Monday evening鈥檚 deadly incident in the US city in a boisterous but peaceful rally. Many in the crowd wore facial coverings to protect against spread of the coronavirus.
But the gathering took an unruly turn around dusk as police in riot gear fired tear gas and non-lethal bean-bag rounds into the crowds while protesters hurled water bottles and other projectiles, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.
Local news footage showed some demonstrators vandalizing the outside of a police precinct station and a squad car. The unrest appeared to have dissipated after dark as rain fell.
The day began with Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo telling reporters that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had opened an inquiry at his request into the fatal arrest caught on video the night before.
Mayor Jacob Frey said at the same news briefing that regardless of the investigation鈥檚 outcome, it was clear the death of the man in custody, later identified as George Floyd, was unjustified, and that race was a factor.
鈥淏eing black in America should not be a death sentence,鈥 the mayor said. 鈥淔or five minutes we watched as a white police officer pressed his knee into the neck of a black man. For five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help.鈥
The mayor later announced the termination of four officers on Twitter, saying, 鈥淭his is the right call.鈥
The case was eerily reminiscent of the 2014 killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man in New York City, who died after being put in a police chokehold and telling the officers, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 breathe.鈥
The officers involved in Monday鈥檚 encounter were responding to a report of a forgery in progress, and found a man fitting the suspect鈥檚 description, Floyd, aged in his 40s, in a car, according to a police department account.
After Floyd got out of the car, the department said, there was a physical altercation. Floyd was handcuffed, and he appeared to be in medical distress, according to police.
Cell phone footage taken by an onlooker does not show what precipitated the confrontation. It opens with Floyd lying beside the rear wheel of a vehicle, with a white officer pinning him to the street by pressing a knee into Floyd鈥檚 neck.
Floyd can be heard repeatedly moaning and gasping while he pleads, 鈥淧lease, I can鈥檛 breathe, please, man,鈥 as bystanders gather around, growing increasingly agitated and shouting at police to let him up. After several minutes, Floyd gradually grows quiet and ceases to move.
An ambulance took him to hospital, where he died a short time later.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
