A protester has fallen off a moving police car in downtown Los Angeles during a rally over George Floyd’s death.
Around 500 protesters descended on LA in a Black Lives Matter protest demanding justice after the 46-year-old father of two died Monday, moments after a white cop knelt on his neck for eight minutes until he passed out.
As protests entered the second day in Minnesota, a new rally started in downtown LA Wednesday
Things turned ugly when a protester was seen falling from the hood of a moving police cruiser.
Demonstrators looted a Target store in Minneapolis Wednesday evening while mostly peaceful protesters gathered for a second night demanding justice over the death of George Floyd
Footage surfaced on social media Wednesday of a group of people piling boxes of goods onto a shopping kart outside the store located near the scene of the black man’s arrest
The police precinct window’s were smashed and some protesters hurled metal railings at the doors
Some protesters wreaked havoc on the police precinct, pushing over barriers and smashing up the site’s windows
Police property is damaged by people gathered for the rally as Gov Walz’s pleas for a peaceful protest were ignored by some
Police spray pepper spray into crowds as protesters outside the Minneapolis police third precinct continue a second day of protests
One woman was seen being blasted in the face with pepper spray as she held up a banner with a slogan saying ‘Charge killer cops’
A woman douses her face in milk after she was exposed to tear gas sprayed by cops
Floyd was filmed Monday begging the Minneapolis cop to stop and telling him he could not breathe before he lost consciousness and later died
George Floyd’s (pictured) heartbroken family have called for the cops to be charged with murder and their lawyer revealed white cop Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for a staggering eight minutes during the arrest for forgery
It comes after:
- A 10-minute video was widely shared on social media on Tuesday showing white officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes as he pleads to be released before eventually losing consciousness and later dying
- Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis later that night demanding justice for the 46-year-old, leading to confrontations with police officers firing rubber bullets
- Four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s arrest were fired on Tuesday after initially being placed on paid administrative leave
- Floyd’s family broke their silence on his death publicly demanding the cops to be charged with murder
- His sister Bridgett Floyd spoke out saying the cops’ termination ‘is just not enough’
- Four fired police officers are named as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on prosecutors Wednesday to arrest and charge Chauvin
- New video footage casts fresh doubt on claims Floyd resisted as two officers are seen manhandling and forcibly removing him from his car and he appears to be complying with officers
- Floyd’s family demanded police officer Chauvin be charged with murder, and the other three officers involved charged as murder accomplices
- Protesters began marching in downtown LA over the death
Over in Minnesota, protests entered their second day and demonstrators clashed with police outside the police precinct.
This followed chaotic scenes at Tuesday night’s protest where demonstrators were seen dousing their faces in milk to limit the effects of the tear gas and desperately fleeing the hail of rubber bullets raining down on them.
Minnesota Governor Walz issued a plea Wednesday for people to practice social distancing and protest peacefully while calling on cops to exercise restraint at the rally.
This comes as a new incident report reveals medics arrived at the scene of Floyd’s arrest to find the black man already ‘unresponsive’ and ‘pulseless’.
Wednesday’s protest started peacefully but clashes soon emerged between the demonstrators and police officers.
One woman was seen being blasted in the face with pepper spray as she held up a banner with a slogan saying ‘Charge killer cops’ while another poured milk over her face to limit the effects of the tear gas sprayed in her face.
A woman throws rocks at the police building where the four officers connected with Floyd’s death worked
People launched missiles including rocks and bottles at the building where the four officers connected to Floyd’s death worked.
The protest descended into chaos for the second night in a row as anger boiled over following the death of a black man
Tensions are building after a bystander’s video posted online showed Floyd, 46, pleading with arresting officers that he couldn’t breathe as an officer knelt on his neck
In one image, a man was seen being supported by other protesters and clutching his face after being struck by a beanbag.
Officers had created a barrier with metal railings but some protesters tore them down and hurled them at the precinct building.
Some protesters wreaked havoc on the police precinct, pushing over barriers and smashing up the site’s windows.
People launched missiles including rocks and bottles at the building where the four officers connected to Floyd’s death worked.
Some protesters also threw debris at a car with pro-Trump and pro-police messaging on it as it drives through the area.
One man is being supported by other protesters and clutching his face after being struck by a beanbag
Cops are positioned on top of cars with guns while they survey the crowds of people gathered
Officers created a barrier with metal railings but some protesters tore them down
Police aim their guns into the crowds on the second night of protests
Some protesters also threw debris at a car with pro-Trump and pro-police messaging on it as it drives through the area
Officers on bicycles wear gas masks and visors while some carry guns filled with rubber bullets
People held signs saying ‘silence is violence’ and speak from a megaphone to the crowds
Protesters have started descending on the streets of Minneapolis for a second night over the death of George Floyd
Minnesotans began gathering outside the police precinct Wednesday for another day of protests following Floyd’s death Monday
Protesters gather as a new incident report reveals medics arrived at the scene of his arrest to find the black man already ‘unresponsive’ and ‘pulseless’
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third Precinct close to the scene of Floyd’s arrest.
Flowers and photos were laid outside the Cups Food deli where the incident unfolded Monday to pay homage to the man who family members have said was ‘everyone’s favorite person’.
Many protesters were pictured wearing face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as Governor Walz urged people to practice social distancing at the event.
As the rally enters its second day, police officers wearing riot gear and holding bats were seen creating a human barrier between demonstrators and the precinct.
Some cops were seen stationed on the roof of the building looking down on the crowds gathering below.
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third Precinct close to the scene of Floyd’s arrest
Flowers and photos were laid outside the Cups Food deli where the incident unfolded Monday to pay homage to the man who family members have said was ‘everyone’s favorite person’
Police officers and protesters started gathering throughout Wednesday outside the Minneapolis police third Precinct close to the scene of Floyd’s arrest
Many protesters were pictured wearing face masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as Governor Walz urged people to practice social distancing at the event
Some cops were seen stationed on the roof of the building looking down on the crowds gathering below
Authorities claimed Tuesday that Floyd had resisted arrest by cops, however footage from the scene has cast doubt on the version of events as it appears to show the 46-year-old father of two cooperating with officers as he is manhandled out of his vehicle.
The release of the MFD report sheds more light on Monday’s shocking events, detailing that fire crew were called to assist medics with a man – called ‘pt’ in the report – who had trauma to his mouth.
It states that Fire Station 17 of Minneapolis arrived at the scene outside the Cup Foods store to find ‘multiple squads on scene and small crowd of citizens’.
The report points to confusion at the scene as neither the cops nor bystanders gave information to medics on Floyd or his location.
Candles are left in memory of Floyd. Tuesday’s protest descended into chaos when police and protesters clashed with cops hurling tear gas canisters into the crowds and demonstrators seen desperately fleeing the hail of rubber bullets raining down on them
Protesters call for justice for George Floyd following his death outside the Cup Foods store where he passed out after a white cop knelt on his neck for eight minutes
A cyclist rides down Portland Avenue and gives a peace sign to motorists who honked their horns to show support for George Floyd near a makeshift memorial
Signs and banners reading George Floyd’s name, ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘I can’t breathe’ were plastered at the scene
Protesters hold up their hands at the scene. An incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department released Wednesday shows the fire department was called to reports of a man with trauma to his mouth and reached the scene to be told by witnesses that cops ‘had killed the man’
The new details emerged as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz broke his silence Wednesday after footage emerged Tuesday showing white police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of black man Floyd moments before he died in custody
Two Minneapolis police officers point guns with rubber bullets as police stand guard against protesters outside the Third Precinct
A protester holds a newspaper in front of the Minneapolis police at the front of crowds starting to gather Wednesday
The Minneapolis PD door is boarded up after it was damaged in Tuesday’s protest
A man adds to the flowers and messages left in memory of Floyd as people demand justice over his death
It says that while the crew tried to find Floyd to give medical support, they overheard and were told by ‘several people that the police ‘had killed the man”.
The report adds that the bystanders were ‘upset but not unruly’.
Crew members were finally able to find a cop inside the store who told them medics had put Floyd in an ambulance and left the scene.
Crew members were also told by an off-duty firefighter who witnessed the end of the struggle that they had seen Floyd become unresponsive on the ground while handcuffed and subdued by cops.
Medics then called for assistance and the crew responded to the ambulance which had moved to 36th and Park Avenue.
Two crew members got into the ambulance where they found ‘an unresponsive, pulseless male’, the report states.
According to the report, medics never managed to recover a pulse on route to the hospital and Floyd’s ‘condition did not change’.
It is not yet clear if Floyd ever regained a pulse after he went limp and passed out under the knee of the cop while he gasped for breathe and begged him to stop.
Governor Walz broke protocol in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday to talk about the ‘tragic events’ in Minneapolis Monday and to send his ‘deepest sympathies’ to Floyd’s family.
‘Like so many Minnesotans and so many people across the country and world I was shocked and horrified by the video of George Floyd’s death,’ the governor said.
‘It’s very clear to anyone that what happened to George Floyd is wrong,’ Walz said.
‘The lack of humanity in the video as I said made me physically ill and is even more difficult to understand.’
An autopsy has not yet been completed and officials at the press conference would not confirm whether police bodycam footage would be released to the public.
Walz thanked protesters for their peaceful rally Tuesday night – before making a thinly-veiled dig at law enforcement that some protesters ended up ‘in harm’s way’ at the rally.
Governor Walz broke protocol in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday to talk about the ‘tragic events’ in Minneapolis Monday and to send his ‘deepest sympathies’ to Floyd’s family
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said during the briefing that an investigation is underway and said that the state is dealing with ‘a systemic problem’
Minneapolis cops in riot gear last night fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of defiant protesters who took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd
Protesters raised their fists and sported face masks to protect them from the spread of COVID-19 as they gathered for the rally near the spot where Floyd died Tuesday
Tuesday’s protest descended into chaos. Milk drains from the face of a protester who had been exposed to percussion grenades and tear gas outside the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct on Tuesday
‘When I was with you Saturday I closed by wishing everyone a peaceful Memorial Day,’ Walz said.
‘Unfortunately Memorial Day evening in Minneapolis was anything but peaceful – and neither was last night.’
Walz said he ‘respect[s] the right to peacefully protest’.
‘It’s how people express their pain, process tragedy and work to create change,’ he said.
‘But I was saddened to see some of the protesters were in harm’s way last night.’
Walz’s comments came as protesters gather near the spot where Floyd was arrested for a second night demanding the four cops involved are charged over his death.
Footage from Tuesday night renewed concerns over police brutality as officers in riot gear fired rubber bullets into the crowds.
Mayor Jacob Frey has called for the white officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck to be criminally charged on Wednesday. Derek Chauvin (pictured) was seen pinning him down in video footage that was widely shared on Tuesday
CCTV footage from a nearby restaurant shows part of the altercation between Floyd and the officers on the scene. A handcuffed Floyd sits on the ground as a police officer, who was not seen in the original viral video, speaks to him before picking him up and holding him against the wall
Video footage shows the moment George Floyd was pulled from his car by officers during his arrest, moments before he lost consciousness after a white officer knelt on his neck for several minutes
The four fired police officers involved in Monday’s incident have been identified as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng
A photo taken across the street from the scene show three officers arresting Floyd as he lay on the ground. The FBI and state law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation into the man’s death
Thousands of defiant protesters took to the streets to demand justice for Floyd, carrying placards reading ‘I can’t breathe’ and ‘Justice 4 Floyd’.
The victim’s family’s lawyer Ben Crump issued a statement urging protesters to act peacefully on Wednesday night and to not ‘sink to the level of our oppressors’.
‘The community is understandably and rightfully upset by the wrongful death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, and their grief and outrage are pouring out onto the streets of Minneapolis. We share these painful emotions and demand justice, but we also urge everyone who wishes to raise their voice to engage in peaceful protests and observe social distancing,’
‘We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic. We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.’
Walz urged protesters to wear face masks and practice social distancing at Wednesday’s rally.
‘I just want to encourage everyone to be safe in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and I want to thank protesters for their commitment to safely protest in the pandemic,’ he said.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said the state will ‘get answers’ but also urged protesters to stay safe at the protests.
‘George Floyd should be alive today,’ she said. ‘The grief in this moment is unbearable.’
Flanagan warned that the same communities most affected by Floyd’s death are those also worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic – as black communities have been disproportionately hard-hit by the outbreak.
Floyd, 46, was a father of two. His family are calling for the four officers involved to be charged with murder over his death
A fatal shooting and lawsuit for excessive force: What we know about the four officers fired for George Floyd’s arrest
Derek Chauvin
Derek Chauvin
The white police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck has already been investigated over three police shootings and a fatal car chase.
In 2006 Derek Chauvin, 44, was one of six officers connected to the death of Wayne Reyes.
Reyes, 42 was killed by officers after allegedly pulling a shotgun on the six cops, which included Chauvin.
Two years later Chauvin was investigated for his role in the 2008 shooting of Ira Latrell Toles during a domestic assault call.
Toles was wounded after police said he went for an officer’s gun and Chauvin shot him.
And in 2011 23-year-old Leroy Martinez was shot and injured during a chase given by officers including Chauvin.
Tou Thao
Tou Thao
Tou Thao, was part of a $25,000 out of court settlement after being sued for using excessive force in 2017.
A lawsuit obtained by the DailyMail.com shows Thao was sued for using excessive force in arrest where he was accused of punching and kicking a handcuffed suspect ‘until his teeth broke’.
The remaining two officers have been identified as Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng.
Both were reportedly rookie cops who were still in their probationary periods, according to the StarTribune.
‘Last night we saw those choose to protest their grief and anger wearing masks and distancing themselves,’ she said, adding that she wanted to ‘thank’ those protesters.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, also speaking at the press conference, said an investigation into Floyd’s death is now underway.
Ellison said the incident reminds him of historic cases of police conflict with the African-American community, such as the death of Rodney King.
‘This is not an isolated case,’ he said. ‘We’re dealing with a systemic problem.’
‘This tragic event that took the life of George Floyd is a point in time and an incident involving a person,’ Ellison said.
‘The reason there is so much outrage is that this is a part of a larger pattern.’
John Harrington, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, echoed sentiments from the victim’s family’s lawyer Ben Crump that there are worrying similarities in the case with the death of unarmed black man Eric Garner.
Garner died in 2014 after he was placed in a chokehold by New York City police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.
‘It reminds me so much of the Eric Garner case in New York but I promise you that unlike the Eric Garner case we will not wait years for action,’ he said.
‘You will not have to wait – there will not be a lag.’
City officials on Wednesday formally identified the four fired police officers involved in Monday’s incident as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J Alexander Kueng.
The cops, who were initially placed on paid administrative leave, were terminated from the Minneapolis Police Department on Tuesday after footage was widely shared on social media.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on prosecutors Wednesday to arrest and charge Chauvin for his role in the incident.
‘If most people, particularly people of color, had done what a police officer did late Monday, they’d already be behind bars,’ Frey said in a tweet on Wednesday.
‘That’s why today I’m calling on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to charge the arresting officer in this case.’
Cops were reported to have located Floyd, who was suspected of forgery, in his car around 8pm Monday before ordering him to exit the vehicle, according to a police statement.
A police spokesman alleged Floyd got out of the car before ‘physically resisting officers’.
However, new video footage, obtained by FOX 9 on Wednesday, shed light on the moments leading up to Floyd’s arrest, showing two officers manhandling and forcibly removing him from his car as he is placed in handcuffs outside the Cup Foods grocery store on 38th and Chicago Ave in south Minneapolis.
Floyd appears to be complying with officers and not resisting arrest before an altercation ensues.
Additional CCTV footage obtained by CBS News from a nearby restaurant also showed parts of the altercation between Floyd and officers on the sidewalk.
In the CCTV footage from a restaurant, a handcuffed Floyd is seen sitting on the ground as a police officer, who was not seen in the original viral video, speaks to him before picking him up and holding him against the wall.
Another police officer then comes over and helps escort Floyd to a nearby squad car before the clip ends.
The events to follow were then captured in a separate video which was widely shared on Tuesday, which showed Floyd pleading with Chauvin to stop pinning him to the floor by his neck, saying ‘please, please, I can’t breathe’ and ‘My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts’.
Witnesses at the scene were heard urging the arresting officers to stop, with one pointing out that Floyd was not resisting arrest.
Floyd’s family have since demanded police officer Chauvin be charged with murder, and the other three officers involved charged as murder accomplices.
REVEALED: White cop who knelt on George Floyd’s neck was involved in a fatal police shooting and one of the other fired officers paid a $25K settlement after being sued for using excessive force in arrest where he punched and kicked a handcuffed suspect
Two of the cops fired over the arrest of black man George Floyd have already been investigated for their roles in previous use-of-force incidents, it has been revealed.
Derek Chauvin, 44, the officer filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck during his arrest, is a 19-year veteran of the force who was investigated over a fatal police shooting in 2006.
Floyd died Monday in police custody, hours after footage showed Minneapolis cop Chauvin knelt on him for eight minutes during the arrest for forgery.
Now it’s been revealed Chauvin was investigated for his role in the 2008 shooting of Ira Latrell Toles during a domestic assault call. Toles was wounded after police said he went for an officer’s gun and Chauvin shot him.
Two years earlier Wayne Reyes, 42 was killed by officers after allegedly pulling a shotgun on the six cops, which included Chauvin, The Star Tribune reports.
A second officer involved in Monday’s arrest, Tou Thao, was part of a $25,000 out of court settlement after being sued for using excessive force in 2017.
In a lawsuit obtained by the DailyMail.com shows Thao was sued for using excessive force in arrest where he was accused of punching and kicking a handcuffed suspect ‘until his teeth broke’.
Derek Chauvin, 44, (left) the officer filmed kneeling Floyd’s neck during his arrest, is a 19-year veteran of the force who was investigated over a fatal police shooting in 2006. A second officer involved in Monday’s arrest, Tou Thao, (right) is said to been part of a $25,000 out of court settlement after being sued for using excessive force in 2017
DailyMail.com has contacted Minneapolis police for comment and for the officers’ full records with the department. Two other officers arrested in the case have been named as Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng
The second officer, Thao, was sued in 2017 by Lamar Ferguson who said the cop had used excessive force during his arrest.
A lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com states ‘Defendant Thunder and Defendant Thao’s use of unreasonable force on Plaintiff, in the form of punches, kicks, and knees to the face and body while Plaintiff was defenseless and handcuffed, was so extreme that it caused Plaintiff to suffer broken teeth as well as other bruising and trauma.’
The case was settled out of court for $25,000 after Thao said he had punched Ferguson after he ‘actively resisted arrest’.
He wrote: ‘After — at this point he’s actively resisting arrest. He — so I had no choice but to punch him. I punched him in the face.’
All four officers were fired Tuesday. DailyMail.com has contacted Minneapolis police for comment and for the officers’ full records with the department.
Chauvin is said to be represented by lawyer Tom Kelly. He was Jeronimo Yavez’ attorney after the Minnesota police officer fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in 2016.
Yavez was found not guilty on all three charges by a jury in 2017.
The remaining two officers have been identified by the city as Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng.
Both were reportedly rookie cops who were still in their probationary periods, according to the StarTribune.
Source: dailymail US
