Four Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of a black man who was detained while protesting that he could not breathe have been dismissed while the FBI is investigating the incident, police said on Tuesday.
Four officers involved in the incident have been "separated from their jobs," according to police spokesman Garrett Parten.
[Original story, 3:45 p.m. ET]Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of a black man who was detained while protesting that he could not breathe have been put on leave while the FBI is investigating the incident, said Tuesday the chief of police, Medaria Arradondo.
Police who responded to an allegation of falsification underway on Monday evening were initially informed that a person later described as the suspect was seated on a car and appeared to be under the influence, police said.
A pair of officers located the man, who was at the time inside the car, and who, police say, "physically resisted" the police when they were ordered out. . Police handcuffed the man, who "appeared to be in medical distress," said police. He died in hospital soon after, police said.
The death largely condemned the actions of the police after a video posted on social networks showing two male agents on the ground - one of them with his knee on the man's neck. The video did not capture what led to the arrest or what the police described as the man resisting the arrest.
"Please, I can't breathe," said the man, screaming for several minutes before being silent. Passers-by urged the officer to release the man from his grip.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, in a statement, identified the man as George Floyd and said that he represented his family.
"We all watched the horrific death of George Floyd on video as witnesses begged the policeman to take him into the police car and take his neck off," said Crump. "This excessive, excessive and inhuman use of force cost the life of a man detained by the police for having been questioned on a non-violent charge."
Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar via Twitter called the incident "yet another horrific and staggering example of a dying African American man".
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday expressed condolences to the man's family, adding that "what we saw was horrible, completely and completely messed up."
"For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee against the neck of a black man," Frey told reporters.
"When you hear someone call for help, you are supposed to help. This officer has failed in the most basic human sense. What happened in Chicago and the 38th that last night is just awful. C was traumatic and it clearly reminds us how far we have to go. "
"Being black in America," said Frey, should not be "a death sentence."
The Minneapolis Federation of Police Officers said in a statement that the police were cooperating in the investigation.
"Now is not the time to rush (judgment) and condemn our officers immediately," the statement said. "The actions and protocol for officer training will be carefully reviewed after the officers provide their statements."
In a Facebook video posted on Monday, passersby urged the police to descend from the man. Two police officers manipulated the man on the ground while another stood nearby, eyes on the passers-by as traffic passed in the background.
"I have a stomach ache," said the man to the officer. "My neck hurts. Everything hurts."
At one point, the man said, "Give me some water or something. Please. Please."
"His nose is bleeding," said one woman about the man.
"He doesn't even stand up to the arrest," said one man. "He's not responding at the moment, brother."
Frey said he understood the anger in the community but reminded potential protesters that "there is another danger right now which is Covid-19".
"We have to make sure that all those who demonstrate and express their opinion remain safe and that their families are also protected," he said. "So please, practice the distance safely, use a mask."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tweeted Tuesday: "The lack of humanity is that this disturbing video is disgusting. We will get answers and demand justice."
The mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, Melvin Carter, called the video of the incident "one of the most vile and heartbreaking images I have ever seen".
"The officer on guard is just as responsible as his partner; both must be held fully accountable," Carter tweeted. "It must stop now."
ACLU Police Policy Advisor Paige Fernandez said the incident was reminiscent of the death of Eric Garner in New York in 2014, who repeated "I can't breathe" repeatedly after a police officer detained him in a strangulation. Garner died during the arrest, the incident was also filmed.
"Even in places like Minneapolis, where chokeholds are technically banned, blacks are targeted by the police for petty crimes and are subjected to unreasonable and unnecessary violence," Fernandez said in a statement. "Make no mistake: George Floyd should be alive today. The officers responsible must be held accountable."
The Hennepin County prosecutor's office said Tuesday in a statement that the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Criminal Arrest, was investigating with the FBI. There was no immediate response from the FBI.
The county medical examiner will identify the victim after a preliminary autopsy, authorities said.
Body-worn cameras were activated during the incident, police said.
