Protests erupt in US after death of another unarmed black man

Police and demonstrators clash after footage of George Floyd’s brutal arrest comes to light

PROTESTS have erupted in Minneapolis over the death of an unarmed black man who was filmed crying out for help and saying “I can’t breathe” as a white police officer pinned him down.

The arrest of George Floyd, a 47-yearold bouncer, on Monday night was filmed by a bystander, and showed a police officer pressing his knee into Mr Floyd’s neck until he stopped moving.

Four officers have been fired over the incident, an unusually swift move by the Minneapolis police chief, but it has not quelled the wave of anger in Minnesota’s largest city.

Thousands of protesters on Tuesday night gathered at the site of Mr Floyd’s arrest, marching more than two miles to the local police station, and damaging the building’s windows and vehicles.

Riot police eventually attempted to disperse the crowds with tear gas and projectiles. Tense skirmishes between protesters and officers stretched late into the evening.

Mr Floyd’s sister, Bridgett, said the officers involved in her brother’s death should be charged with murder because “that’s exactly what they did”.

The occurrence of yet another deadly encounter between police and an unarmed black man comes at a time when America’s race relations are once more in the spotlight. Viral footage leaked this month which showed the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black jogger in Georgia, provoked public outrage across the country and led the US Justice Department to intervene.

Minneapolis police said Mr Floyd matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case, and he resisted arrest when approached by officers.

But footage of the incident has drawn condemnation from high-profile figures across the US, including Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate.

The video showed Mr Floyd pressed against the ground with an officer kneeling on his neck. Mr Floyd said: “Please, please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man.”

The arrest drew the attention of several witnesses, who gathered at the scene and became frustrated with the police as they watched Mr Floyd in distress. The man called for his mother and said: “My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts

Demonstrators, left and inset below, want justice for the fatal incident between a member of the police and an unarmed black man, right

During the arrest, George Floyd was pinned down with an officer’s knee on his neck until he stopped moving