Black Americans and concerned citizens have taken to Twitter to react to the murder of George floyd, an unarmed black man who was suffocated to death while being detained by police.
The tragic incident occurred Monday in Minneapolis, after officers attempted to arrest Floyd on suspicion of forgery, police said in a statement. They were told the man, who has not been identified, was “sitting on top of a blue car and appeared to be under the influence”.
After being ordered to step away from the vehicle, the man physically resisted officers, according to police. “Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress,” the statement added.
In the 10-minute video filmed by a witness, the man is kept on the ground by the officer and, at one point, says: “Don’t kill me.”
Watch video:
‘Please. Your knee in my neck. I can’t breathe.’
Black man George Floyd died shortly after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck (warning: distressing) pic.twitter.com/g13U7U8XJO
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) May 27, 2020
Witnesses urged the officer to take his knee off the man’s neck, noting that he was not moving. One says, “His nose is bleeding”, while another pleads, “Get off his neck.”
The man then appears motionless before he is put on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
The hashtags #BlackliveMatter, #georgeflyod and #icantbreath trended worldwide garnering more than 500k tweets in less than 12hours.
See some of the reaction below:
https://twitter.com/Vidi_LaVida/status/1265523019532906497
Black Americans something gots to give, y’all can’t keep allowing this to happen to y’all. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/uKll4qDaX2
— Thabiso WaseSkomplazi (@Snecinho) May 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/_gmutua/status/1265534411602366467
You deserved your breath, your dignity, your life. Not to die in the street, murdered by a white cop’s knee on your neck. You deserve our tears, our prayers, our rage, our action. We must act – for you – and for all of those were no cameras are present. We must. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/JeMNUtkXv6
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 27, 2020
He was held by 3 cops as he pleaded for his life crying #icantbreathe They were literally having fun as they watch him bleeding through the nose. This is weird #GeorgeFloyd deserves immediate justice. Hearts are broken. I don't know who the next victim will be #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/FJGA6FUXvx
— Chidume (@NwabuwaChidume) May 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/youngjoe452/status/1265549472450437121
https://twitter.com/santadomino/status/1265549168602480642
So #GeorgeFloyd was killed in broad daylight and the white police officer didn’t flinch for a Second. No remorse on his face whatsoever and seems to take be on a justice ‘vacation ’ despite his outcry he can’t breath Damn someone hand me the remote control I gotta delete 2020 pic.twitter.com/2eIs1aAUFo
— Ken K. Kioko (@kennkiok0) May 27, 2020
Situations like #AmyCooper shows how they really see us and what happened to #GeorgeFloyd shows what they want to do to us. We can’t let this go. This was murder, a public execution.#MinneapolisPoliceMurderedHim #BlackLivesMatters #StopKillingUs
— Pearl (@Blackdiamond67) May 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/Rebaone59275709/status/1265541187265613824
I need journalists to release the fired Minneapolis officers’ excessive force reports with the same energy they release a Black victim’s arrest history. #GeorgeFloyd
— zellie (@zellieimani) May 27, 2020
Meanwhile, The Four Minnesota police officers who murdered the black man have all been fired from the Minneapolis Police force.
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the four officers were now “former employees”.
Footage shows the man, George Floyd, groaning and repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” to the white officer.
The man then appears motionless before he is put on a stretcher and into an ambulance where he was pronounced dead.
The FBI has said it will investigate the Minneapolis incident, which took place on Monday evening.
