Who Was George Floyd? Why Was He Detained? Here's Why the Death of the 46-Year-Old African-American in Minneapolis Sparked Violent Protests in US
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African-American man, who died in Minneapolis after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis has led to severe violent as well as peaceful protests across the world.
Washington, June 2: George Floyd's death in Minneapolis has led to severe violent as well as peaceful protests across the world. So who was the man whose death has sparked violent protests across the US. George Floyd was a 46-year-old African-American man, who died in Minneapolis after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. The final moments of Floyd were captured in a video shot by bystanders and he can be heard saying '“I can’t breathe,” several times to Chauvin.
Who Was George Floyd?
George was born in North Carolina and lived in Houston, Texas, but he moved to Minneapolis several years ago in search of work, according to a SkyNews report. Floyd was charged in 2007 with armed robbery in a "home invasion". He was sentenced to five years in prison after a plea deal in 2009. Reportedly, in a recent video on social media, he spoke out against gun violence, saying: "Our young generation is clearly lost". George Floyd Murder: Asphyxia Confirmed as Cause of Death in Independent Autopsy Ordered by Deceased's Family.
Why Did Police Arrest Floyd?
Floyd was arrested after he was accused of using a counterfeit $20 note at a local deli. Police gave the statement that Floyd “physically resisted” the arrest after he was told to exit his car. However, the video footage gone viral has a different story to say. Officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground for at least seven minutes despite the 46-year-old gasping for breath and repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe”. Bystander yelled at the officer and asked him to leave Floyd as he went unconscious. However, Chauvin remained in that position even after that. His unresponsive body was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Violent Protests Over George Floyd's Death
Anger over Floyd's death has turned into violent protests across the United States calling for an end to police brutality and injustice — and now those demonstrations have gone global. In all the protests people were seen carrying signs that read, "Justice for George Floyd," "Racism has no place," "Enough is enough," and "Black lives matter." They chanted, "I can't breathe" and "No justice, no peace".
President Donald Trump threatened the use of the US military in dealing with protests against the death of George Floyd, referring to participants as “thugs” on Twitter. “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” the president said Friday. The tragic incident of Floyd's murder in broad daylight has brought to light the concerns over the law enforcement’s bias against the African American minority.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2020 12:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).