“Two systems of justice”: what is known about the riots in Minneapolis after the death of an African American detained by police

In the American city of Minneapolis, the second day there are protests turning into riots in connection with the death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd during police detention.

The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, May 25. As the Minneapolis state police said, law enforcement officers arrived at the call about a possible forgery of documents (local media reported that Floyd allegedly tried to pay with a fake check), and they found a suspect in the passenger compartment of the car. Obeying the order to leave, he “began to renderphysical resistance to the police. ” After that, as reported by the police, they “managed to handcuff him”, after which “they noticed that the detainee needed urgent medical attention.” 

However, according to eyewitness accounts circulating in social networks, it is clear that the police handcuffed the African American, and he soon fell on the road. One of the officers pressed the man with his knee, pressing on his neck. After that, Floyd shouted that he could not breathe, but his words were ignored.

The police also did not respond in any way to the requests of eyewitnesses, who indicated that the detainee had lost consciousness.

A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department also indicated that law enforcement officers had chest cameras turned on. However, records of the whole incident with them have not yet been published. As noted by NBC News, recently published police snippets are "heavily edited," and they have virtually no audio.

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After the video from social networks received wide publicity, the city authorities announced the dismissal of four police officers.

In addition, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation joined in the investigation of the death of a black man.

“What we saw was terrible. Being black in America should not mean a death sentence, ”said Mayor Jacob Frey at a May 26 news conference.

“For the past 36 hours, I have been asking myself the question:“ Why is the man who killed George Floyd not now in prison? ” And I could not find the answer to this question, ”explained the Mayor of Minneapolis.

In the evening of the same day, hundreds of people gathered at the scene of the tragedy to express their protest on the fact of what happened. The protesters marched to the police station, where the situation was heated, clashes occurred. Law enforcement authorities used tear gas.

The next day, protests were also held. However, by evening, peaceful demonstrations began to spill over into riots and marauding by some participants. As the Star Tribune notes, on the night of May 28, at least five people were injured in the shootings. Another local resident was shot dead by the owner of the pawnshop. Also, dozens of objects of trade were either looted or set on fire.

Against this background, the mayor of Minneapolis turned for help to the US National Guard. A corresponding appeal was sent to the Governor of Minnesota Tim Waltz. He, in turn, indicated that the situation in Minneapolis had grown into an extremely dangerous situation.

“This is why I insist on a full, fair and expeditious investigation that will bring us closer to justice.” We must continue to consider and respond to the systematic manifestations of inequality and discrimination that led to this and previous incidents, of which there have already been too many, ”he wrote on his Twitter.

The situation was also not spared by US President Donald Trump. The head of the White House said he had asked the FBI and the US Department of Justice to expedite the investigation.

“I sincerely sympathize with George's family and friends. Justice will be done! ” - said Trump.

At the same time, the US Department of Justice said it assigned the investigation a high priority, “entrusting it to experienced prosecutors and investigators.” They, in particular, will establish whether police officers violated federal law while detaining a man.

We add that the family of George Floyd intends to conduct an independent autopsy, as he does not trust the authorities of Minneapolis. According to lawyer Benjamin Crump, all four police officers should have already been arrested.

“Is there really two systems of justice in America - one for black Americans and one for whites?” He declared.