White Minneapolis cop seen kneeling on Black man at SAME spot where George Floyd was killed in viral video
A video that shows a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on an African-American man at the same location in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed by officer Derek Chauvin earlier this year has triggered outrage.
The footage, which appears to have been recorded by a bystander, was uploaded by On Site Public Media last Tuesday, December 8, shows a White police officer slamming a Black man on the ground and placing a knee on his back. According to the Sun, the incident took place on December 4 at the corner of E 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, which was renamed George Floyd Square, after his tragic death on May 25 sparked a worldwide Black Lives Matter movement against racial injustice and police brutality.
Floyd was killed during an arrest after a store clerk alleged he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill. White police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for a period initially reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds. A description of the recent video stated that police had gathered at the George Floyd Square to similarly apprehend one person for a non-violent offense.
"To make that arrest, officers arrived with 12 squad cars and over 20 officers. They then antagonized the community, pointing pepper spray at the crowd, cursing at innocent bystanders, and physically assaulting a black man who did nothing but stand and observe," the description read.
While one of the officers was seen making the arrest, another officer suddenly turned his attention to another African-American man standing amongst the crowd, watching the arrest. As the officer lunges forward to grab hold of the second Black man, the latter steps away, and many of the people standing in the crowd nearby get involved trying to separate the two. But the officer manages to get hold of the unnamed man and pin him to the floor. At the same time, the caption on the video stated that the police had dislocated the man's shoulder in an attempt to restrain him.
After that, the officer is seen putting his knee over the man's back as another officer comes to his side. "He didn't do anything!" a bystander in the crowd is seen yelling on the spot. The video ended with a close up of the bald, White officer who had placed his knee over the Black man's back. He had a black tape covering his badge number and was also wearing a blue line badge. "If you have the name of the following officer who violently attacked the innocent black man in this video, please contact CUAPB.org," the description said.
The video was also shared on TikTok where it went viral, being viewed over 275,000 times. "On the evening of December 4th at 7:45 pm, Minneapolis Police responded to an armed carjacking," MPD Director of Public Information John Elder told The Sun in a statement. "The suspects fled into that area of 38th and Chicago. Officers encountered individuals and force was used. That use of force is under review by the Office of Police Conduct Review."