The May 25 arrest and in-custody death of George Floyd has led to the firing of four Minneapolis police officers and protests around the city. While the investigation into Floyd’s death is still in its very early stages, there are some initial lessons we can take from the incident. In a Rapid Response, Editorial Director Greg Friese outlines six takeaways agencies can apply to training, policy and community relations.
Kate Feldman
New York Daily News
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Four Minneapolis Police Department officers were fired Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the arrest of George Floyd that left him dead.
“This is the right call,” Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on Facebook after Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced the firings.
The four officers have not been identified.
Two officers were filmed Monday night at the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue South, arresting a man later identified as Floyd.
The 10-minute video, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows one white officer kneeling on top of Floyd’s neck as he cries “I can’t breathe.”
“My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts,” he says. “Water or something, please. I can’t breathe.”
The Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement that officers were called to a forgery in process around 8 p.m. Monday, with a suspect “sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence,” but would not clarify the exact nature of the call when reached by the Daily News.
Two officers arrived at the scene and found Floyd sitting in his car, according to police. He got out and “physically resisted officers,” according to the MPD.
Frey called for a full investigation into the arrest and both the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and FBI have been called in.