Minnesota Prosecutor Claim of 'Other Evidence' Halting Criminal Charges in George Floyd Killing Fills Social Media With Dread

Social media is speaking out after a Minnesota prosecutor warned there is 'evidence that does not [...]

By Allison Schonter

Social media is speaking out after a Minnesota prosecutor warned there is "evidence that does not support criminal charges" against the white police officer involved in the killing of George Floyd, the unarmed black man seen in video telling officers "I can't breathe" as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. In a news conference on Thursday, Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman said that they will not "rush" to press charges against the four officers involved in the Monday incident and asked for patience.

Condemning the actions of former officer Derek Chauvin as "horrific and terrible," Freeman said prosecutors need to determine if Freeman used "excessive" force when he knelt on Floyd's neck for eight minutes until he lost consciousness. Calling video of the arrest "graphic and horrific and terrible," Freeman said that his "job in the end is to prove he violated a criminal statute - but there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge." He added that the investigation "can't be rushed," citing fears that doing so will lead to a repeat of the case involving Freddie Gray, the black man who, in 2015, died while in police custody. In that case, all of the officers involved were acquitted and the charges against them were dropped.

In a statement to CNN shortly after, Freeman's office said that he misspoke, explaining that "evidence not favorable to our case needs to be carefully examined to understand the full picture of what actually happened." Still, his comments sparked discussion on social media, with some reaction with shock while others expressed their anger at the suggestion the officers may not face any charges at all. Keep scrolling to see what social media had to say.

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