On Wednesday, March 25 in Minneapolis Minnesota, 46-year-old George Floyd was killed by police officers, as reported by the New York Times. The police first came because of a report that Mr. Floyd was said to have bought cigarettes with a counterfeit bill. Police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck and pinned him down. He refused to take off his knee even though Mr. Floyd was saying he couldn’t breathe and later became unconscious. The video of this encounter circled around the internet and was viewed by many.

On June 3rd, Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, according to the Washington Post. The other officers at the scene, J Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao, and Thomas Lane are being charged with aiding and abetting. All across the country, protests erupted calling for justice, change, and an end to police brutality. According to USA Today, “many initially peaceful protests have been marred by violence, vandalism, and looting, and police have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and other means as they confront protesters. Governors of some states have activated the National Guard to aid police.” President Trump said he would deploy the military during the protests, according to NPR.  

Debates about policing and police brutality in the nation have sparked once again and people are calling for action. Former President Barack Obama spoke on Thursday, June 4th for the first time publicly after Mr. Floyd’s murder. He urged leaders to look at community policing policies and change them if needed to prevent more instances of police brutality. 

Photo courtesy of New York Times.