FEDERAL PROBE LAUNCHED INTO FLOYD DEATH
The U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday it had made an investigation into police involvement in the death of George Floyd a “top priority,” after a second day of violent protests in Minneapolis over the unarmed black man’s death.
Experienced prosecutors and investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation had been assigned as part of a “robust” probe into whether the police officers involved had violated federal laws, the department said in a statement.
The demonstrations, accompanied by looting and vandalism, began on Wednesday, hours after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged prosecutors to file criminal charges against the white police officer shown pinning Floyd to the street.
A video, taken by a bystander, showed a handcuffed Floyd, 46, lying face down, groaning for help and repeatedly saying, “Please, I can’t breathe,” before becoming motionless. He died in hospital shortly after.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the Justice Department’s civil rights division and the FBI’S Minneapolis Field Office will carry out the investigation.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump called Floyd’s death a “very, very sad event” after a reporter asked him about it.
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh Mcenany on Thursday urged demonstrators to curb the violence and looting.
“Everyone has the right to protest, there’s no doubt about that, but it needs to be peaceful ... and in accordance to the law,” she told Fox News.