海角大神

To the general public, the video of a white police officer pressing his knee into the neck of a black man prone on the street, crying out for help until he finally stopped moving, was horrifying.

Four police officers were fired a day after George Floyd's death, a remarkably swift move by the Minneapolis chief with the mayor's full backing. But despite their dismissal, whether the incident will be considered criminal, or even excessive force, is a more complicated question that will likely take months to investigate.

The officers were dismissed soon after a聽bystander鈥檚 video聽taken outside a south Minneapolis grocery store Monday night , even after he pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving. Mr. Floyd鈥檚 death prompted protests Tuesday, with thousands taking to the streets at the intersection where he died.

Many protesters marched more than 2 miles to the police precinct station in that part of the city, with some damaging the building鈥檚 windows and squad cars and spraying graffiti. Police in riot gear eventually confronted them with tear gas and projectiles, with tense skirmishes stretching late into the evening.

Bridgett Floyd told NBC's 鈥淭oday鈥� show in an interview Wednesday morning that the officers involved in her brother's death should be charged with murder because 鈥渢hat鈥檚 exactly what they did.鈥� She said she hadn't watched the bystander's video, but told ABC's 鈥淕ood Morning America鈥� that 鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand how someone could possibly let an individual go out like that."

Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter, saying: "This is the right call.鈥�

The FBI and state law enforcement were investigating Mr.聽Floyd's death, which immediately drew comparisons to the case of聽Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.

But in the Garner case, local prosecutors, the NYPD鈥檚 internal affairs unit, and the Justice Department all finished investigations into the case before the officer was ultimately fired. Mr.聽Garner鈥檚 family and activists spent years begging for the officer to be removed.

The officers in the Minneapolis incident haven鈥檛 been publicly identified, though one defense attorney has confirmed he is representing Derek Chauvin, the officer seen with his knee on Mr.聽Floyd鈥檚 neck. The attorney, Tom Kelly, declined to comment further.

The police union asked the public to wait for the investigation to take its course and not to 鈥渞ush to judgment and immediately condemn our officers.鈥� Messages left with the union after the firings were not returned.

During Tuesday's protests, some chanted and carried banners that read, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 breathe鈥� and 鈥淛ail killer KKKops.鈥� And some stacked shopping carts to make a barricade at a Target store across the street from the station.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the department would conduct a full internal investigation, and prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the officers involved. The Hennepin County Attorney鈥檚 Office said it was 鈥渟hocked and saddened鈥� by the video and pledged to handle the case fairly. Part of that investigation will likely focus on the intent of the officers, whether they meant to harm聽Mr.聽Floyd or whether it was a death that happened in the course of police work. The FBI was investigating whether the officers willfully deprived Mr.聽Floyd of his civil rights.

News accounts show Mr.聽Chauvin was one of six officers who fired their weapons in the 2006 death of Wayne Reyes, whom police said pointed a sawed-off shotgun at officers after stabbing two people. Mr.聽Chauvin also shot and wounded a man in 2008 in a struggle after Mr.聽Chauvin and his partner responded to a reported domestic assault. Police did not immediately respond to a request for Mr.聽Chauvin鈥檚 service record.

In Minneapolis, kneeling on a suspect鈥檚 neck is allowed under the department鈥檚 use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway. It is considered a 鈥渘on-deadly force option,鈥� according to the department鈥檚 policy handbook.

A chokehold is considered a deadly force option and involves someone obstructing the airway. According to the department鈥檚 use-of-force policy, officers are to use only an amount of force necessary that would be objectively reasonable.

But two use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that the officer clearly restrained the man too long. They noted the man was under control and no longer fighting. Andrew Scott, a former Boca Raton, Florida, police chief who now testifies as an expert witness in use-of-force cases, called Mr.聽Floyd鈥檚 death 鈥渁 combination of not being trained properly or disregarding their training.鈥�

鈥淗e couldn鈥檛 move. He was telling them he couldn鈥檛 breathe, and they ignored him,鈥� Mr.聽Scott said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even describe it. It was difficult to watch.鈥�

In聽a post on his Facebook page, the mayor, who is white, apologized Tuesday to the black community for the officer鈥檚 treatment of Mr.聽Floyd, who worked security at a restaurant.

鈥淏eing Black in America should not be a death sentence. For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a Black man鈥檚 neck. Five minutes. When you hear someone calling for help, you鈥檙e supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense,鈥� Mr.聽Frey posted.

Police said the man matched the description of a suspect in a forgery case at a grocery store, and that he resisted arrest.

The video starts with the man on the ground, and does not show what happened in the moments prior. The unidentified officer is kneeling on his neck, ignoring his pleas. 鈥淧lease, please, please, I can鈥檛 breathe. Please, man,鈥� said Mr.聽Floyd, who has his face against the pavement.

Even in the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States and prompted police departments around the country to change how they鈥檙e doing work, the officers in the video aren鈥檛 wearing masks. In some cities, low-level arrests such as attempted forgery are skipped right now.

Mr. Floyd also moans. One of the officers tells him to 鈥渞elax.鈥� Mr.聽Floyd calls for his mother and says: 鈥淢y stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts ... I can鈥檛 breathe.鈥� As bystanders shout their concern, one officer says, 鈥淗e鈥檚 talking, so he鈥檚 breathing.鈥�

But Mr.聽Floyd slowly becomes motionless under the officer鈥檚 restraint. The officer does not remove his knee until the man is loaded onto a gurney by paramedics.

Several witnesses had gathered on a nearby sidewalk, some recording the scene on their phones. The bystanders become increasingly agitated. One man yells repeatedly. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not responsive right now!鈥� Two witnesses, including one woman who said she was a Minneapolis firefighter, yell at the officers to check the man鈥檚 pulse. 鈥淐heck his pulse right now and tell me what it is!鈥� she said.

At one point, an officer says: 鈥淒on鈥檛 do drugs, guys.鈥� And one man yells, 鈥淒on鈥檛 do drugs, bro? What is that? What do you think this is?鈥�

The Hennepin County medical examiner identified Mr. Floyd but said the cause of death was pending.

Mr.聽Floyd had worked security for five years at a restaurant called Conga Latin Bistro and rented a home from the restaurant owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

He was 鈥渁 good friend, person, and a good tenant,鈥� the restaurateur told the Star Tribune. 鈥淗e was family. His co-workers and friends loved him.鈥�

Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights and personal injury attorney, said he had been hired by Mr.聽Floyd鈥檚 family.

The death came amid outrage over the death of聽Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot on Feb. 23 in Georgia after a white father and son pursued the black man they had spotted running in their subdivision. More than two months passed before charges were brought. Mr. Crump also represents Mr. Arbery's father.

This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.

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