Riots are the language of unheard.
George Floyd’s untimely death had stirred the patriotism of the American people. Everybody is in pain and furious over the death of George Floyd dispersed all over the different states and cities across the country hours after the former Minneapolis officer seen in the video with his knee on Floyd’s neck was arrested and charged with murder.
Protestors have unleashed their frustrations and anger in cities like Atlanta, New York and Washington into chants, signs and outbreaks of violence, smashing windows and setting the vehicles and building into scorching fire.
City officials warned protesters Thursday night to leave the precinct area, saying it may be in danger of exploding due to “unconfirmed reports” of severed gas lines.
While in Atlanta, protestors busted windows of police cars and one squad car was set on fire.
Currently, a curfew was declared to the state of Minneapolis after days of protests marked by looting and fire destruction. The county prosecutor charged the fired Minneapolis police officer seen in a video with his knee on Floyd’s neck with third-degree murder and waiting for the justice to prevail. Derek Chauvin also faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter.
Benjamin Crump, Floyd’s family and their attorney stated:
“We expected a first-degree murder charge. We want a first-degree murder charge. And we want to see the other officers arrested,” Crump and the family said in a statement. “We call on authorities to revise the charges to reflect the true culpability of this officer.”
Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds in total, and 2 minutes, 53 seconds after Floyd was unresponsive, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.
According to an emergency resolution signed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis curfew began at 8 p.m. CT on Friday and last until Saturday at 6 a.m. The curfew will be in effect for Saturday evening as well. The neighboring city of St. Paul imposed a similar curfew for Friday beginning at 8 p.m. CT, according to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
According to the Police incident report, the 46-year-old, who was unarmed, cried out that he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin and three other officers detained Floyd in handcuffs Monday after he allegedly used a counterfeit bill at a convenience store. The death of George Floyd surfaced on the net and a video showing a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck outraged the citizens.
“We entrust our police officers to use certain amounts of force to do their job to protect us. They commit a criminal act if they use this force unreasonably,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.
The criminal complaint says, “Derek Michael Chauvin caused the death of George Floyd by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind without regard for human life.”
If convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, Chauvin would face up to 25 years in prison on the first charge and up to 10 years on the second.
The evidence in the case includes a cell phone video of the incident, body worn cameras, witness statements, a preliminary report from medical examiner, and discussions with an expert, Freeman said.
The preliminary autopsy report found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation,” according to the criminal complaint released by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The report added: “The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.”
Chauvin was arrested and taken into custody Friday by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington.
Demonstrators across the country appealed for justice for Floyd and others.
In Houston, demonstrators carried signs that said “End police brutality” and “Black lives matter.”
People blocked US Highway 101 near San Jose, and one of them smashed what looked like a skateboard through a blue Mustang.
In New York, protesters and police clashed in various incidents Friday night outside the Barclays Center with protestors throwing water bottles, what appeared to be a bottle of paint and more at New York police officers.
In Washington, DC, a protest outside the White House briefly caused the building to be placed on lockdown. It has since been lifted and the Secret Service has reopened entrances and exits to the White House campus for both staff and media.
The Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct was set on fire. With all might, protesters chanted Floyd’s name and “I can’t breathe,” and some lit up fireworks toward the precinct. All the happenings were caught in Facebook live.
The Minneapolis Police Department said it evacuated staff from the Third Precinct for safety reasons. Authorities had set up a fence around it, but protesters pushed it over, officials said.
Consequently, more than 500 Minnesota National Guard personnel mobilized to several locations in the Minneapolis area, including banks, grocery stories and pharmacies for security and order.
Shanene Herbert , a community organizer told CNN Thursday before the night’s events that young people had “every right to be angry.”
“They have experienced trauma,” she said. “Seeing your friends, your families and even yourself harassed by the police and killed by the police, it’s traumatic. And they don’t know what to do with that.”
The Minneapolis mayor has expressed his official statement towards the violent incidents.
“What we’ve seen over the past several hours and the past couple of nights in terms of looting is unacceptable,” Frey told reporters. “Our communities cannot and will not tolerate it.”
