Several public figures expressed outrage on social media over the death of George Floyd, 46, an unarmed Black man who died in Minneapolis Monday after a police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed.
Video of the incident showed Floyd shouting for his life from beneath a Minneapolis police officer before going limp. He died shortly after being taken to a nearby hospital, according to a statement released by Minneapolis Police. Four responding officers involved in the incident ― which officers claim was over a reported “forgery in progress” ― were fired, according to police chief Medaria Arradondo.
In the footage, Floyd is seen repeatedly telling the officer on top of him, “I cannot breathe.” Despite pleas from bystanders, the officer refuses to get up.
In chilling ways, Floyd’s death resembled that of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man from Staten Island who pleaded ― essentially using the same words ― with an officer choking him during a 2014 arrest. For many, the two incidents demonstrate that the expanding library of viral videos capturing the death of Black individuals at the hands of police is rife with repetition.
After footage of Floyd’s killing went viral, several public figures expressed outrage over his death and called for justice.