Police violence against George Floyd: Protests in Minneapolis claim first fatality

African-American George Floyd dies of an arrest in the United States. Concussive recordings cause protests in which at least one man is shot.

• The  African American George Floyd comes in the United States after being arrested by police officers killed. 
• A video shows a policeman kneeling on the black man's neck. Floyd is out of breath.
• The case commemorates Eric Garner's death .

Update, 5:35 p.m .: The protests in Minneapolis continue to escalate. Numerous buildings burned into the wee hours, shops were looted. There is talk of "chaos" and of "uprisings" that are happening all over the city. Triggered by the death of George Floyd after his arrest by the police .

Protests after George Floyd's death claim first fatality

In the wake of the protests in Minneapolis , there appears to be a first fatality. In the center of the Minneapolis, the body of a man was found who had been shot in front of a pawn shop. The man died in the hospital shortly after the police found him.

Medaria Arradondo, chief of police in the nearly 400,000-strong city, told a local news channel that the police would be tough on violent demonstrators. "We cannot tolerate this criminal behavior," said Arradondo.

Protests in Minneapolis escalate again - plumes of smoke over the city

Update from Thursday, May 28, 2020, 2:45 p.m .: The sports fans remember. On August 14, 2016, Colin Kaepernick made a statement that caused discussions throughout the United States. Still at quarterback for San Francisco 49ers then acting NFL player had during the US national anthem knelt in order to protest against inequality, racism and police violence against blacks . It was expensive for Kaepernick, after the season he was fired and has been unemployed since then.

But after George Floyd's death , Kaepernick's protest in the US is on everyone's lips again. Basketball superstar LeBron James also remembered this on Instagram. A collage shows two pictures of men on their knees: the Minneapolis policeman and the protesting Kaepernick. "Do you understand now !! ?? !! ??" wrote James. "Or is everything still unclear?"

Check out this post on Instagram

Do you understand NOW !! ?? !! ?? Or is it still blurred to you ?? St #StayWoke

A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on May 26, 2020 at 4:38 pm PDT

Police violence against George Floyd in the US: new videos reveal details of the death of the African American

Update from Thursday, May 28th, 2020 , 12.30 p.m .:  The confrontation between George Floyd and the Minneapolis police was originally known through a video by Darnella Frazier, which posted a day on Facebook on Tuesday morning (May 26th). Meanwhile, more videos have been released in the United States . 

A smartphone video shows Floyd being taken out of his car by the police. A second video , taken with a surveillance camera, marks the beginning of the clash between George Floyd's police on the street. What is particularly noteworthy here is that Floyd does not offer any resistance - which was described very differently in the police report.

Video shows what appears to be the start of the confrontation between #GeorgeFloyd and #Minneapolis #police officers. A restaurant's security footage shows cops taking him into custody, but the restaurant owner says it does not show Floyd resisting #Arrest pic.twitter.com/LjIerm6BaX

Police violence against George Floyd: Mayor files charges against police officers

Based on the videos, Mayor Jacob Frey demanded that the policeman who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck should be charged . The 44-year-old, according to the local newspaper “Star Tribune”, as well as a second civil servant involved, have previously been accused of violent acts on duty. "I've struggled more than anything in the past 36 hours with one basic question: why isn't the man who killed George Floyd in prison?" Said Frey. "There was nothing to suggest that this Kind of violence was necessary. "

Meanwhile, concerns are growing that protests against police violence  in the United States could escalate. The lawyer of the Floyd family has therefore asked the demonstrators to continue to protest peacefully and also to comply with the corona distance rules . 

"We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors and we must not endanger others during this pandemic," said Benjamin Crump's statement. "We will achieve lasting changes by repeatedly pointing out the terrible and unacceptable course of action - and by the fact that justice will prevail."

Police Violence Against George Floyd in the USA: Governor Speaks of “Extremely Dangerous Situation”

Update from Thursday, May 28, 2020, 6:15 a.m .:  After the death of George Floyd , the people in the United States took to the streets again to denounce the police violence against black people . Things were particularly buzzing in the city where Floyd lost his life when the police arrested him. 

The protests in Minneapolis started peacefully before the situation escalated over the night. The demonstrators gathered in front of the police station where the four officers who had been fired for brutally dealing with George Floyd had worked. Police lined up outside the area to shield the building from the demonstrators. A car parts store was set on fire on the sidelines of the demonstrations. A department store and other shops were ransacked, plumes of smoke hung over the city.

Governor Tim Walz spoke of an "extremely dangerous situation" and asked the residents to leave the area. Police chief Medaria Arradondo said that he had ordered the use of tear gas . With this, the police pushed back the angry crowd. "It's not about racism," said one protester. "It's not even about capitalism. It's not even about colonialism. It's about a lack of humanity. "

"It's not even about racism. It's not even about capitalism. It's not even about colonialism. It's about a lack of humanity, man." # Minneapolis # GeorgeFloyd #FuckThePolice pic.twitter.com/JAefix9NOg

Numerous demonstrators also gathered in downtown Los Angeles . At times they were on the 101 freeway and blocked traffic there.

Meanwhile, US President  Donald Trump has ordered  an investigation by the Department of Justice and the Federal FBI. Trump assured on Twitter that justice would be done. He asked the authorities to speed up the investigation. At the same time, Trump expressed his sympathy to the relatives and friends of the victim  George Floyd  . The president called Floyd's death "very deaf and tragic."

Police violence against George Floyd in the USA: Mayor demands arrest of the police officer

Update from Wednesday, May 27th, 2020,  8:23 pm: After George Floyd's death in the USA, the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, demands the arrest of the policeman who brutally held Floyd down on Monday evening (May 25th, 2020). The four police officers who were involved in the case were released with immediate effect, according to Frey. 

Mayor Frey on Wednesday (May 27, 2020) demanded that the police officer be arrested and charged. "Why isn't the man who killed George Floyd in prison?" He asked journalists. "If you had done it, or I would have done it, we would be behind bars now."

Police Violence Against George Floyd in the USA: "You Killed My Brother" - Sister Demands Murder Charges

Updated on Wednesday, 27.05.2020, 15:25:  The death of George Floyd reminds many people in the United States on the death of Eric Garner . The then 43-year-old African American, suffering from asthma, lost his life on July 17, 2014 in New York City during an arrest by police officers. Just like with George Floyd , the officials at the time did not respond to the victim's words: he had shouted "I can't breathe"  - just like George Floyd . Both were then taken to the hospital, where death was found in both cases. Videos of Garner's death also exist.

"But that's much, much worse than Eric Garner's," said Ben Crump , a civil rights lawyer hired by Floyd's family, on NBC's Today Show. Crump spoke of  "brutal, deadly and excessive violence" by the police. “They were on his neck: not for a minute, not two minutes, not three minutes, not four minutes, not five minutes, not six minutes, not seven minutes, not eight minutes, but for nine minutes. And while he's begging for his life. "

He hoped that the murder would be a turning point for the US judicial system . "There cannot be two judicial systems, one for black America and one for white America."

"It's worse than Eric Garner in many ways," attorney Ben Crump says about the death of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/zaQ4cVUrfn

On the same show, Floyd's sister called for harsh consequences: "I want these cops to be charged with murder because that's what they did," said Bridgett Floyd , who kept fighting back tears during the recording. "You murdered my brother . He called for help. The officers should be in prison for murder. "

Video shows police violence in the United States: death of an African American triggers severe protests

Update from Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 10.45 a.m .:  The death of African American George Floyd causes unrest on the streets in the USA . On Tuesday evening (26.05.) Gathered despite the Corona pandemic thousands of people in Minneapolis to against police violence to demonstrate. 

With the cry "I can't breathe", they marched to the third police station from where the 46-year-old Floyd died on Monday. After a peaceful start , the protests suddenly escalated . While the police used tear gas and smoke bombs, the demonstrators tried to hide behind an improvised barricade of shopping carts.

"We blacks are tired of it," Kiara Nelson told The Daily Beast: "The fact that this happens again and again is just insane." 

Cops now crossing into target lot and throwing tear gas pic.twitter.com/KgI6kkBYWu

Video shows police violence in the United States: four officers released after the death of an African American

Update from Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 8:45 am: The video from the USA shocked. In the streets of Minneapolis you can see a white policeman who presses his knee against the neck of an African American for minutes . He repeatedly pleads for help before finally losing consciousness. Afterwards he was taken to the hospital, but all help came too late. George Floyd was dead. 

Many US politicians have been horrified, including senators like Sherrod Brown and members of the House of Representatives like Ilhan Omar. The Mayor of Minneapolis was particularly affected . In the afternoon, Jacob Frey announced that the four police officers involved in the case had been released. 

Four responding MPD officers involved in the death of George Floyd have been terminated.

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“It is the right decision for our city, the right decision for our community. It's the right decision for the Minneapolis police, ”said Frey at a press conference with chief of police Medaria Arradondo. "What we saw is terrible. George Floyd shouldn't have died

Police violence in the US: George Floyd's family hires lawyer 

"For five minutes, we watched a white policeman press his knee into the back of a helpless black man ," said the mayor. “For five whole minutes. It wasn't a decision that had to be made in a split second. ”

Arradondo said during the press conference that he had decided to ask the FBI for an investigation after receiving "additional information" about the incident, but declined to elaborate.

Floyd's family has hired a lawyer. Benjamin Crump said on Twitter that he had been hired to represent the victim's family in the event of "abusive, excessive, and inhuman use of violence." The police must be held accountable.

MEDIA ALERT: I have been retained to represent the family of George Floyd, the man killed by Minneapolis Police on May 25. #JusticeForFloyd #ICantBreathe pic.twitter.com/OkQeBwIlf1

Meanwhile, other parts of the United States are struggling with everyday racism . So now a woman from New York has caused outrage. After a verbal battle with an African American, she called the police: "Because he's black."

"I Can't Breathe": Harrowing Video Shows Police Violence in the US - African Americans Die

First message from Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 : Minneapolis - The scenes are appalling. They come from the United States . A policeman presses his knee against the neck of a motionless, moaning man who has practically no breath for about three and a half minutes. "I can not breathe! Can be heard. "I can not breathe! Do not kill me! " 

USA: Video shows the scenes of the arrest

But that's exactly what happened in the end. The man who was to be arrested still went to the hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries. It is an African American . The entire incident, which has shaken the USA since Tuesday (May 26, 2020) , has been recorded in a video that has been published on Facebook. 

It all happened on Monday evening at around 8 p.m. local time in the south of Minneapolis , the most populous city in the US state of Minnesota with around 382,500 inhabitants. The Minneapolis Police Department announced early Tuesday that the nameless man later died of a "medical incident". 

Racism in the US: The FBI is investigating the death of the African American

"Two officers ordered him to get out of his car," the US police said . After getting out, the man "physically resisted. Officials handcuffed the African American and found that there appeared to be a medical emergency. The officials therefore requested an ambulance. " 

The man died shortly thereafter, the statement said, adding: "At no time were weapons of any kind involved in the incident." Now the FBI and state authorities are investigating the man's death . There appears to be another case of police brutality in the United States .

The FBI is looking into the death of a black man after he was stopped by police in Minneapolis. Video of the confrontation shows a white officer's knee pinning down the man's neck. "I can't breathe" is heard several times before an ambulance arrives. @ Jeffpeguescbs reports. pic.twitter.com/2A9pMzYuM0

Minneapolis Mayor is shocked by police violence in the United States

The video is from the American Darnella Frazier . "When I went there, he was already on the ground," says Frazier in her Facebook video. "The cops held him by his neck and he cried. The police killed him, right in front of everyone. He cried and told them he couldn't breathe and everything. You killed this man . " 

The Mayor of Minneapolis was shocked: "He shouldn't have died," said Jacob Frey. "What we saw was terrible. Being black in the US shouldn't be a death sentence . ... If you hear someone calling for help, you should help. This officer has failed in the most basic human sense. "

USA struggles with racism: memories of Eric Garner's death come to life

Social media users found similarities between the death of the man and that of Eric Garner , an unarmed black man who died in 2014 * after being strangled by a New York police officer. 

His death made the " Black Lives Matter " civil rights movement, which had been founded a year earlier, well known in the USA and beyond . Garner's last words at the time were recorded on a video and read: "I cannot breathe." Then he died.

By Christian Stör

* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / dpa / Christine T. Nguyen