The now-infamous footage of George Floyd has sparked yet another night of violent protests and national outrage. The video shows officer Derek Chauvin pinning a helpless Floyd to the ground by the neck.
As reported by ChurchLeaders.com, the details of the heartbreaking footage are as follows (we did not link to the video due to the nature of its graphic content):
“The video starts with Floyd already lying on the street, an officer sitting on top of him and another officer with his knee in Floyd’s neck. This lasts for at least five minutes. Bystanders, including a woman who identified herself as a firefighter, are seen arguing with the police officers involved. The woman and another male bystander become increasingly agitated as they repeatedly ask officers to check Floyd’s pulse after he stops moving. One person points out that Floyd’s nose is bleeding. At one point, the officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck, identified later as Derek Chauvin, pulls out what appears to be mace when the bystanders move closer, seemingly threatening to spray them if they move any closer.
The end of the video shows Floyd being lifted onto a stretcher by paramedics, completely unresponsive. The police report says ‘He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later.’”
In the first few minutes of the video, Floyd is heard pleading for the officer to release him because he can’t breathe. “Please, please, I can’t breathe. Please, man, please,” he cries.
The hashtag #icantbreathe has now become the rallying cry for advocates of justice for Floyd.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has since spoken out about the unthinkable act of police brutality, passionately stating that the perpetrator should be arrested.
“He’d be alive today if he were white,” said Frey. “I’m not a prosecutor, but let me be clear, the arresting officer killed someone.”
While Mayor Frey did not go as far as to label Chauvin racist, he did say the facts revealed thus far make him firmly believe “race was involved.”
Courteney Ross, Floyd’s girlfriend, stated that the footage clearly shows her boyfriend was murdered at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
“This is nothing but an angel that was sent to us on Earth. And we demonized him and we killed him,” said Ross, referring to Floyd as a “gentle giant” and “loving father to his two daughters.”
“He loves them with all his heart,” she added. “I don’t know if I’m sad or mad… he cannot die in vain.”
Frey and Ross are certainly not alone in that belief, as Floyd’s alleged murder has led to massive violent uproar as well as peaceful protest demonstrations.
“Dozens of officers were deployed to break up crowds, and the mayor’s office confirms that the National Guard had been called in,” CBS News reported.
Officer Chauvin as well as the three other officers involved in the incident have since been fired, but the masses have made it clear that such a minor punishment is not nearly enough.
Clearly, murder requires a much higher level of justice to be served.
Please join us in prayer that George Floyd’s case receives exactly that.
