George Floyd's death in Minneapolis: the police officer arrested and imprisoned

Americans demand justice on May 29, 2020 after the death of George Floyd during his arrest in Minneapolis. REUTERS / Eric Miller

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The policeman implicated in the death of George Floyd, this American black whose death rekindled the racial wounds of the United States, was arrested and charged with manslaughter Friday as demanded for several days the demonstrators, whose anger took the form of riots in Minneapolis.

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The police officer involved in the death of Mr. Floyd, who was identified as Derek Chauvin, has been detained  " by the criminal police, said Commissioner John Harrington, of the Minnesota Department of Civil Protection. A violent video, which has gone viral, showed this policeman violently arresting Monday for a minor crime George Floyd, 46, placing his knee on his neck. I can't breathe anymore  ," we hear him say in the recording of the scene. The results of the autopsy are not yet known, but the police officer is accused of asphyxiating George Floyd.

The four agents involved in the tragedy were dismissed and federal and local investigations were opened to establish their responsibilities. But only Derek Chauvin has been arrested so far. In the process, the Hennepin County prosecutor, where the city of Minneapolis is located, announced that his services charged him with cruel and dangerous acts causing death and manslaughter.

This judicial development follows a third night of riots in this big city of Minnesota, in the north of the country, where the demonstrators demand that justice be done. The National Guard was deployed on Friday to try to restore calm, while a police station was burnt down overnight and several businesses looted.

Obama spoke

President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denounced a " tragic  " crime  , this time attacked "  thugs  ". The looting will be immediately greeted by bullets,  " he added in a tweet, which the social network decided to report as "an apology for violence."

In a diametrically opposite tone, his democratic predecessor Barack Obama said he shared "  the distress  " of millions of black Americans, for whom "  being treated differently on the basis of race is tragically, painfully and infuriatingly normal  ". This should not be normal in America in 2020,  " added the first black president of the United States. People are angry because this is not the first time the police have killed in this country, " said Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC on Friday.

(With AFP )

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