26 May 2020

Protesters gather in Minneapolis after unarmed black man dies as footage emerges of white police officer kneeling on his neck during arrest

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis following the death of an unarmed black man who was heard crying he couldn’t breath as a white police officer knelt on his neck for several, minutes while arresting him.

George Floyd was arrested on Monday evening by officers investigating a report of a forgery at a business, according to police spokesman John Elder.

He said in a statement: "He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers.

“Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

But in footage filmed by a bystander, the 46-year-old is seen pinned to the ground by the officer and is heard to say 'please, don’t kill me' and 'I can’t breathe'.

After several minutes, he appeared motionless and was taken into an ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead hours later. 

Four officers involved in the arrest have since been fired with the city’s mayor Jacob Frey saying ‘This is the right call’.

He added: "For the better part of the night, I've been trying to find the words to describe what happened. All I keep coming back to is this: this man should not have died.

"What we saw is horrible. Completely and utterly messed up. The man's life matters, he matters. He was someone's son. Someone's family member. Someone's friend."

And on Tuesday crowds gathered on 3700 block of Chicago Avenue, the sceneof Floyd’s arrest.

They held banners, saying 'I can’t breath' and 'Jail killer KKKops', while others chanted 'prosecute the police'.

The protesters marched towards a police station where windows and a patrol car was damaged and buildings sprayed with graffiti.

The protest began peacefully but later turned to chaos as riot police and the public clashed (ABACA/PA Images)

Police in riot gear confronted the crowds and fired tear gas as the situation descended into chaos. 

The FBI and state agents are investigating the death of Floyd. 

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox