President Trump announced on Thursday night that he instructed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to expedite their investigation into the death of 46-year-old, African-American man, George Floyd. Video from the Minneapolis scene shows that Floyd died after being pinned to the ground and knelt upon, while screaming that he could not breathe, by police officers until Floyd was unresponsive. Minneapolis's police department said that law enforcement was responding to an alleged incident of forgery.
“He was ordered to step from his car,” the department’s statement said. “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.”
The department released the names of the officers, Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, all of whom were fired just after the tragic incident. Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey (D) called for prosecution, without specification of what charges, of the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck.
Without drawing a complete conclusion of the situation, President Trump called for a swift investigation and expressed his condolences for Floyd’s family.
....I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020
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Protests erupted in Minneapolis over the incident, demanding justice for Floyd.
The released video is undoubtedly damning. Emergency medical officials also said that Floyd was unresponsive upon their arrival, and that no care given in the ambulance made any difference. The medical report is still contingent on further investigation and testing.
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