Ghastly death that sparked global outrage
May 25, 2020:
Minneapolis police officers respond to a call soon after 8pm about a possible counterfeit $20 note being used at a corner grocery and encounter a black man, later identified as George Floyd, who struggles and ends up handcuffed and face down on the ground. Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Mr Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop.
May 26: Police issue a statement saying Mr Floyd died after a “medical incident” and that he physically resisted and appeared to be in medical distress. Minutes later, bystander video is posted online. Chauvin and three other officers – Thomas Lane, J Kueng and Tou Thao – are fired.
May 27: Mayor Jacob Frey calls for criminal charges against Chauvin. Protests lead to unrest in Minneapolis, with some people looting and starting fires. Protests spread to other cities.
May 28: Governor Tim Walz activates the Minnesota National Guard. Police abandon the 3rd Precinct station as protesters overtake it and set it on fire.
May 29: Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. President Donald Trump tweets about “thugs” in Minneapolis protests and warns: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
June 1: As protests continue nationwide and abroad, the county medical examiner finds Mr Floyd’s heart stopped as police restrained him and compressed his neck, noting he had underlying health issues and listing fentanyl and methamphetamine use as “other significant conditions”.
June 3: Attorney General Keith Ellison files a tougher second-degree murder charge against Chauvin and charges the other three officers who were involved in Mr Floyd’s arrest.
June 4: A funeral service for Mr Floyd is held in Minneapolis. Massive, peaceful protests take place nationwide to demand police reform in the days after.
June 16: President Trump signs an executive order to encourage better police practices and establish a database to track officers with excessive use-of-force complaints.
July 21: The Minnesota Legislature passes a broad slate of police accountability measures that includes bans on neck restraints, chokeholds and so-called warrior-style training.
October 7: Chauvin posts bond of a $1 million and is released from state prison.
March 12, 2021: After Mr Floyd’s family lodges a lawsuit against the city and the four former officers, Minneapolis agrees to pay the family a $27 million (£19.3 million) settlement.
March 29: Chauvin’s trial begins at Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court.
April 11: Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old black man, is fatally shot by a white police officer during a traffic stop in suburban Brooklyn Center.
April 20: Jury convicts Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges.