Tiger Woods has released a statement regarding the tragic death of George Floyd, which has prompted widespread riots - some peaceful, others violent - across America.
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Taking to Twitter, the professional golfer wrote:
"My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now. I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force. This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line."
"I remember the LA riots and learned that education is the best path forward," he continued. "We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods that we live in. I hope that through construction, honest conversations we can build a safer, united society."
Protests, both peaceful and violent, have since broken out across the country, with people demanding that all four officers involved be brought to justice.
On Friday it was revealed that Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck, had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The 19-year veteran was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."
Per the Guardian, after reviewing the bodycam footage of Floyd's arrest, state charging documents allege that the now-former Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for a total of nearly nine minutes.
It also states that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for two minutes and 43 seconds after Floyd had become non-responsive.
Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying:
"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."
A list of resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement can be found, here.
Legendary NBA player, Michael Jordan, has vocally supported the protests that have swept the US following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes, which resulted in him losing consciousness, and later passing away.
Protests, both peaceful and violent, have since broken out across the country, with people demanding that all four officers involved be brought to justice.
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Jordan, who has previously been criticized for failing to comment on political issues, said that he was "deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry," in a rousing statement posted to his social media accounts.
"I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of colour in our country. We have had enough," he continued.
"I don't have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy and never turn our backs on senseless brutality. We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability. Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change. Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all.
My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd and to the countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice."
Jordan, who is now the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, has been condemned in the past for not using his influence and platform to speak up about racial injustice. He infamously said, "Republicans buy sneakers, too," after refusing to endorse an African-American Democrat against an incumbent Republican politician with a history of racist behavior in a 1990 Senate race.
He has since claimed that the comment was not meant to be taken seriously - a fact that he corroborated in his recent Netflix documentary, The Last Dance. On Friday it was revealed that Chauvin had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. He was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying:
"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."
Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder charge would require prosecutors to prove Chauvin’s actions were willful and premeditated.
In footage of the arrest, George Floyd can be heard pleading for help - repeatedly telling officers that he couldn't breathe. He then became unresponsive during the arrest and was later pronounced dead.
Watch a news report on protests in Minneapolis below, where a white CNN journalist describes how differently he was treated by police at the demonstration:
George Floyd, the 46-year-old African-American man who died at the hands of law enforcement, called for the younger generation to put an end to gun violence, a resurfaced video shows.
Floyd was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, officer Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for a number of minutes, which resulted in Floyd losing consciousness, and later passing away.
All four police officials involved, including Chauvin, have been fired from their positions, but calls are now mounting for their arrests.
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"It’s clearly the generation after us that’s so lost, man," Floyd can be heard saying in the footage, which has been making the rounds on social media.
"Our young are clearly lost, man, clearly lost, man. I don’t even know what to say anymore. You youngsters just going around busting guns in crowds, kids getting killed."
Floyd then goes onto express his disdain after hearing that an adult had allegedly condoned the use of firearms: "Man, I knew it was crazy then a n***** my age saying it and condoning this s***, bro."
"You know what I’m saying, and half them young n****** shooting guns go home and their knees shaking at night, but they don’t show it to nobody because they aren’t tough then," he continued. "Come on, come on home, man. It’s going to be you and God. You’re going up or you’re going down."
Floyd's sister, Bridgett, told NBC's Today on Wednesday that her family wants all four officers to be arrested and charged with murder.
"Me and my family are taking this very, very hard. It’s very heartbreaking, it’s very disturbing," she said. "I would like for these officers to be charged with murder, because that’s exactly what they did. They murdered my brother. He was crying for help."
The death of Floyd prompted huge protests in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. However, these peaceful demonstrations did not transpire without incident, as police in riot gear proceeded to fire teargas and rubber bullets into the crowd, per The Guardian.
On Wednesday, protestors continued to gather at the scene of the altercation.
Yesterday evening, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to denounce Floyd's death as "very sad and tragic".
"At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd,” he wrote. "I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement."
Following an evening of riots and unrest across the US, the world is still reeling from the death of 46-year-old George Floyd.
Yesterday it was revealed that Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck, had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The 19-year veteran was arrested by the state's bureau of criminal apprehension.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."
Now, a Tennessee police officer has spoken out, calling for any cops to hand in their badges if they agree with what they see in the footage of Floyd's arrest.
Chattanooga Chief of Police David Roddy shared his candid statement on Twitter, writing:
"There is no need to see more video. There no need to wait to see how “it plays out”. There is no need to put a knee on someone’s neck for NINE minutes. There IS a need to DO something. If you wear a badge and you don’t have an issue with this...turn it in."
Since posting the blunt statement on May 27, Chief Roddy's tweet has received over 620,000 likes and has been retweeted more than 159,000 times.
But despite being commended by many Twitter users, one person responded to Chief Roddy's tweet saying: "While I respect your viewpoint, it doesn’t work like that. People won’t resign for doing something they feel is acceptable practice.
"If you want this to stop, it’s up to you to find the people who accept this behavior and get them out of your department."
Other senior officers have also spoken out about Floyd's death on social media.
Polk County, Georgia, Sheriff Johnny Moats wrote on Facebook:
"I am deeply disturbed by the video of Mr. Floyd being murdered in the street with other officers there letting it go on. I can assure everyone, me or any of my deputies will never treat anyone like that as long as I’m Sheriff. This kind of brutality is terrible and it needs to stop. All Officers involved need to be arrested and charged immediately. Praying for the family."
Per the Guardian, after reviewing the bodycam footage of Floyd's arrest, state charging documents allege that Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for a total of nearly nine minutes.
It also states that the now-former Minneapolis police officer kept his knee on Floyd's neck for two minutes and 43 seconds after Floyd had become non-responsive.
Floyd’s family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members "expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying:
"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."
Under Minnesota law, a first-degree murder charge would require prosecutors to prove Chauvin’s actions were willful and premeditated.
In video footage of the arrest, Floyd can be heard pleading for help - repeatedly telling officers that he couldn't breathe. He then became unresponsive while being restrained and was later pronounced dead.
Prior to his death, officers were alerted that a man in his 40s - later identified as 46-year-old George Floyd - had been using a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill, CBS reported.
After locating Floyd in his car, the two officers said he "physically resisted" arrested.
A Minneapolis police spokesman said in a news briefing early on Tuesday: "Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and realized that the suspect was suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died a short time later."
However, video footage of the arrest that was captured by a bystander caused uproar across the nation, as it showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck until he became motionless.
The woman who captured the footage, Darnella Frazier, wrote on Facebook: "They killed him right in front of cup foods over south on 38th and Chicago!! No type of sympathy #POLICEBRUTALITY."
*We will not be sharing the video, but it can be found on Miss Frazier's Facebook page HERE*
The footage shows Floyd being restrained on the ground and handcuffed, as the white officer presses his knee onto his neck.
Floyd can be heard crying out: "Please, I can't breathe." But despite Floyd's pleads, Chauvin did not move. Another officer can be seen watching on without intervening.
As he continues, a passerby screams, "That's bulls**t, bro. You're stopping his breathing right there, bro. Get him off the ground, bro," adding that the officer was "enjoying it".
Floyd then becomes motionless.
After several minutes, paramedics arrived on the scene, but George Floyd was sadly pronounced dead later that day.
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Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump - the man who first publicly identified George Floyd - confirmed in a statement that he was representing his family. Crump added:
"We all watched the horrific death of George Floyd on video as witnesses begged the police officer to take him into the police car and get off his neck.
"This abusive, excessive, and inhumane use of force cost the life of a man who was being detained by the police for questioning about a non-violent charge."
Yesterday, riots ensued across the country - in Minnesota, Louisville, New York, and Denver.
President Trump tweeted last night that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts", writing:
"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right
"These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"
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He later confirmed that the National Guard had been deployed to Minnesota. He added that Floyd will not have died in vain and asked that people "respect his memory".
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On Wednesday, two new videos of Floyd's arrest surfaced, showing the moment cops wrestled him out of a car and onto the ground.
Fox9 News reporter Alex Lehnert shared the first video to Twitter, along with the caption:
"New video sent to us shows the moment George Floyd was removed from his vehicle and handcuffed on 38th and Chicago. Video courtesy of Christopher Belfrey."
In the video above was obtained by Fox9News, and was recorded in a parked car behind the vehicle Floyd was sitting in.
In the footage, two police officers can be seen struggling to remove Floyd from the driver's side of a vehicle.
A second video, captured by the surveillance cameras of a nearby restaurant and later obtained by CBS News, shows part of the altercation between Floyd and the officers on the scene.
The video was later uploaded to Twitter by the account @sn00pdad, who wrote alongside it:
"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"
CNN reported earlier in the week that four Minneapolis police officers - including Chauvin - had been fired in connection with the case.
Police spokesperson Officer Garrett Parten has since confirmed that the four officers involved in Floyd's arrest have been "separated from employment".
In a statement about police Chief Medaria Arradondo's decision to fire the officers, Mayor Jacob Frey said:
"I support your decisions, one hundred percent. It is the right decision for our city. The right decision for our community, it is the right decision for the Minneapolis Police Department."
In a press conference early on Tuesday, Frey offered his condolences to Floyd's family, adding that "what we saw [in the video] was horrible, completely and utterly messed up".
Watch Mayor Jacob Frey's emotional response below:
"For five minutes, we watched as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man," Frey told reporters.
"When you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic human sense. What happened on Chicago and 38th this last night is simply awful. It was traumatic and it serves as a clear reminder of just how far we have to go."
"Being black in America," Frey said, should not be "a death sentence."
Floyd Mayweather has offered to cover the funeral costs for George Floyd.
Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for eight minutes, which resulted in him losing consciousness, and later passing away.
Protests, both peaceful and violent, have since broken out across the country, with people demanding that all four officers involved be brought to justice.
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The former five-division world champion's promotional company, Mayweather Promotions, took to Twitter to confirm that he had made the offer, and per local news outlets, the family has accepted.
"Undisputed champion @floydmayweathertold @HollywoodULin an exclusive interview, that he will commit to paying for the funeral costs of George Floyd," they wrote.
On Friday it was revealed that Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck, had been detained and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The 19-year veteran was arrested by the state’s bureau of criminal apprehension.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman revealed in a statement: "We are in the process of continuing to review the evidence. There may be additional charges later."
Per the Guardian, after reviewing the bodycam footage of Floyd's arrest, state charging documents allege that the now-former Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for a total of nearly nine minutes.
It also states that Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for two minutes and 43 seconds after Floyd had become non-responsive.
Floyd's family has since released a statement calling Chauvin's arrest a "welcome but overdue step on the road to justice” and added that members “expected a first-degree murder charge" - which they still demand.
"The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and spilling out on to streets across [the country]," the statement added.
The statement concluded by saying:
"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethal restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."
A list of resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement can be found, here.
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, has called for the arrest of the police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck, an incident that was captured on video, and resulted in his death.
Floyd, an African-American man, was arrested by Minneapolis police on Monday, May 25th, for reportedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store. While being detained, officer Derek Chauvin - a 19 year veteran of the force - knelt on his neck for a number of minutes, which resulted in Floyd losing consciousness, and later passing away.
All four police officials involved, including Chauvin, have been fired from their positions - something Frey deemed to be the "right call" - however, the Mayor is now calling for those involved in Floyd's death to be charged with murder.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Frey asserted;
"Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail? If you had done it or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now, and I cannot come up with a good answer to that question.
I’m calling on the Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to act on the evidence before him. I’m calling on him to charge the arresting officer in this case. We cannot turn a blind eye. It is on us as leaders to see this as it is and call it what it is."
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Floyd's sister, Bridgett, told NBC's Today on Wednesday that her family wants all four officers to be arrested and charged with murder.
"Me and my family are taking this very, very hard. It’s very heartbreaking, it’s very disturbing," she said. "I would like for these officers to be charged with murder, because that’s exactly what they did. They murdered my brother. He was crying for help."
The death of Floyd prompted huge protests in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. However, these peaceful demonstrations did not transpire without incident, as police in riot gear proceeded to fire teargas and rubber bullets into the crowd, per The Guardian.
On Wednesday, protestors continued to gather at the scene of the altercation.
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Yesterday evening, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to denounce Floyd's death as "very sad and tragic".
"At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd,” he wrote. "I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement."
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