Minneapolis death:
Four officers’ firings were swift and stunning, but the case will likely take months to investigate.
MINNEAPOLIS – To the public, the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man prone on the street, crying out for help until he finally stopped moving, was horrifying. Four officers were fired Tuesday, a day after George Floyd’s death, a stunning and swift move by the Minneapolis police chief with the mayor’s backing. Mayor Jacob Frey also called for criminal charges to be filed against the officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck. But despite the officers’ dismissal, whether the incident will be considered criminal, or even excessive force, is a more complicated question that will likely take months to investigate. The officers were dismissed soon after a bystander’s video taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night showed an officer kneeling on the handcuffed man’s neck, even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving. Floyd’s death prompted protests Tuesday, with thousands taking to the streets at the intersection where he died. Many protesters marched more than 2 miles to the police precinct station in that part of the city, with some damaging the building’s windows and squad cars and spraying graffiti. Police in riot gear eventually confronted them with tear gas and projectiles, with tense skirmishes stretching late into the evening. Bridgett Floyd told NBC’S “Today” show Wednesday that the officers involved should be charged with murder because “that’s exactly what they did.” She said she hadn’t watched the bystander’s video, but told ABC’S “Good Morning America” that “I don’t understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that.” Frey announced the firings on Twitter, saying: “This is the right call.” The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Floyd’s death. The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven’t been publicly identified, though one defense attorney has confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin, the officer seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The attorney, Tom Kelly, declined to comment further. The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to “rush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.” Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned. Some protesters chanted and carried banners that read, “I can’t breathe” and “Jail killer Kkkops.” Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it was “shocked and saddened” by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly. Two use-of-force experts said the officer clearly restrained the man too long, noting that the man was under control and not resisting.