George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on Monday
Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes, has been charged with third degree murder and manslaughter, it was confirmed on Friday.
Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck, ignoring Floyd’s pleas that he was unable to breath. Later that day, Floyd was dead.
His death has sparked protests and riots across Minneapolis, and much of the United States, leading to looting and violent clashes between police and protesters calling for an end to police brutality.
Earlier on Friday, president Donald Trump saw a tweet of his partially hidden by Twitter for ‘glorifying violence’. The twee said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”.
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Trump sough to clarify his comments later in the day, insisting that what he said was not a threat, and merely a fact that “looting leads to shooting”.
Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night – or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
