Man Dies After Police Officer Kneels On His Neck

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—On Monday, May 25, a man – who has been identified by his family as George Floyd – died shortly after a police officer kneeled on his neck.

At 8:00 p.m., the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were called to the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue South due to a report of “a forgery in progress.” Officers were told that the suspect was “sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence.”

Two MPD officers arrived and located the suspect, a male who seemed to “be in his 40s.” He was ordered to step out of his car, and he “physically resisted officers” after doing so. He was locked into handcuffs.

The official MPD release claims that Floyd “appeared to be suffering medical distress” and that he died “after [a] medical incident.” 

A passerby recorded a video of the incident and shared it on Facebook: it shows an officer kneeling on the man’s neck while he says “please, please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man.” An officer is heard telling Floyd to “relax.”

The video is now unavailable on Facebook; segments of it can be viewed on recorded news broadcasts. Activated body cameras were worn by police officers during the incident.

The officer allegedly left his knee on the man’s neck for several minutes after the latter became motionless. Floyd was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in an ambulance, where he died shortly. 

The MPD has asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate the incident, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will also examine the matter.

“What we saw was horrible – completely and utterly messed up,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “This man’s life matters. He matters. He was someone’s son, someone’s family member, someone’s friend. He was a human being and his life mattered. Whatever the investigation reveals, it does not change the simple truth that he should be with us this morning. I believe what I saw and what I saw was wrong at every level.”