If you have seen the news lately, been on the media, or consulted with someone who has you may have heard of George Floyd. For those who don’t know Goerge Floyd was an African-American man who was murdered by a white police officer on May 25th, 2020. There is a video (viewer discretion is advised) online showing the moments leading up to the death of Mr. Floyd.  

From the start of the footage, it is clear that the police had no difficulty using coercion against Mr. Floyd. Two out of the four cops at the scene had already had multiple complaints against them and were known for using unnecessary force. In the video one of the officers jerks Mr. Floyd right out of his vehicle without a clear purpose as to why from there they pull Mr. Floyd to their squad car and consistently try to force him in. Mr. Floyd refused this because he was claustrophobic, and didn’t want to be inside the vehicle. Although the officers didn’t know this, it was no excuse for the way they proceeded to treat him.

  After a few minutes of trying to get Mr. Floyd in the car, without success, the officers pin Mr. Floyd to the ground. One of the officers has placed his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck with no intention of taking it off. The other officers are also helping bind Mr. Floyd to the ground. This is when strollers begin to film the disturbance, while the officers ask for them to proceed about their day. In the videos that the bystanders took, you can hear Mr. Floyd’s desperate cries for the officer to get his knee off of him. This is when Mr Floyd continues to beg them and repeats the words “I can’t breathe” but the officers would not listen. Even after Mr. Floyd became unconscious the officer still would not back away, it wasn’t until the paramedics arrived at the scene that officer Derek Chauvin finally got off of Mr. Floyd’s unconscious body. 

After the footage was released, many people became furious with the footage they were watching. The video sparked outrage from all over the country, with people demanding justice for George Floyd. Since then the Minneapolis Police Department has discharged all four officers associated with the incident and charged Derek Chauvin with murder in the third degree. Many protests have continued throughout America, demanding the rest of the cops to be arrested, and the public will not stand for racism towards black people. The family of Mr.described him as a good man that would never hurt anyone, he had just lost his job as a security guard at a restaurant due to the coronavirus. He had moved to Minneapolis for a chance to start fresh and become a better father for his kids.

George Floyd was murdered on May 25th, 2020. This isn’t the first time that an incident involving an unarmed, defenseless African-American has been murdered at the hands of white police officers and I fear that if the police system doesn’t change he may not be the last. Change is needed from the very root of the problem which is police departments filled with officers that racially profile those of different colors. #blacklivesmatter