Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis Police Officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck before Floyd died in police custody, has been arrested, Minnesota CBS affiliate WCCO reports. John Harrington, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, announced Friday that Chauvin was taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Charges against Chauvin were not immediately clear. WCCO reports that answers will likely be provided by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, as he has scheduled a press conference at 1 p.m. local time concerning a “major development” in the case. Ahead of Floyd’s arrest on Monday, Chauvin had been with the Minneapolis police for 19 years. In a viral video of the arrest, in which Floyd was unarmed and was pleading with the four arresting officers that he couldn’t breathe, Chauvin can be seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes.
Videos by PopCulture.com
On Monday at 8 p.m., Minneapolis police said officers were called to the intersection of Chicago Avenue and East 38th Street on a report of someone trying to use a forged document at Cup Foods. Police initially said Floyd was resisting arrest and had a medical incident. However, video obtained by CBS News shows Floyd cooperating with officers, at least in the initial moments of the encounter. The aforementioned video taken by a bystander showed Floyd pleading that he could not breathe as Chauvin knee on his neck for several minutes after Floyd stopped moving and became unresponsive.
The other officers involved in the arrest were identified as Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng, both with the department for fewer than three years. All four officers were fired a day after Floyd died. At press time, none of those three officers had been reported as arrested.
As news broke of Chauvin’s arrest, people took to social media to react. Several were glad the officer was finally arrested, while others argued the arrest should have taken place days ago. Some said the other three officers should be taken into custody as well.
Police officer Derek Chauvin has been arrested and is in custody for the murder of George Floyd. The first step towards justice.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) May 29, 2020
To give you an idea of how tone-deaf this woman is, she once declined to prosecute Derek Chauvin after he shot a man in 2006. https://t.co/HS1aICI8Lm
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 29, 2020
Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd, was arrested.
— ACLU (@ACLU) May 29, 2020
This is not enough. We have much further to go — including swift, independent prosecution conducted by the Attorney General’s office.
The fight to dismantle a violent, oppressive system has just begun. https://t.co/46o1tx0Cqo
derek chauvin has been arrested but we can’t stop fighting yet, he hasn’t been charged yet & the other officers need to also be held accountable. keep using ur voices, we need justice !
— geo (@ughgeo) May 29, 2020
so Derek Chauvin finally got arrested, yeah arrested for his own damn safety right? NOW PROSECUTE HIM HE MURDERED A MAN
— flօ⁷ #BLACKLIVESMATTER (@taedelrey) May 29, 2020
Things are not going to die down because they arrested Derek Chauvin. The American people need to see that the police can police themselves without public pressure to do so.
— Jonwayne – twitch.tv/saturnmane (@jonwayne) May 29, 2020
Don’t think for a minute that Derek Chauvin would have been arrested if people in Minneapolis weren’t standing up and fighting. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd
— Jonathan Smucker (@jonathansmucker) May 29, 2020
This is long overdue. Derek Chauvin was filmed on camera lynching a man who was crying out for help. He needs to be tried and CONVICTED for killing #GeorgeFloyd
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) May 29, 2020
“I can’t breathe.” https://t.co/hfeha6QKNN
BREAKING: Officer Derek Chauvin was just taken into state custody for the murder of George Floyd.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) May 29, 2020
Thank you to everybody who helped make this happen.
THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.
Officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are still free.
Don’t let up.
It took 4 officers to murder George Floyd. Derek Chauvin did not act alone.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) May 29, 2020
Officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were not unwilling participants in a quick death, but fully participating co-conspirators in a slow, brutal public lynching.
ARREST THEM NOW.
DEREK CHAUVIN HAS BEEN ARRESTED!!! He is in custody and charged with the murder of George Floyd!!
— Kendall Rae💫 (@KendallRaeOnYT) May 29, 2020
GEORGE FLOYD’S KILLER IS IN POLICE CUSTODY. DEREK CHAUVIN IS IN POLICE CUSTODY.
— alisha 🦷 #BLM (@dietmoth) May 29, 2020
KEEP MAKING YOUR VOICES HEARD SO CHAUVIN FACES THE RIGHTFUL CONSEQUENCES OF BEING A RACIST MURDERER. #blacklivesmatter
Derek Chauvin is arrested and is now in the police custody but getting arrested does not equal to being convicted. We want him, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng to be charged with murder. #BlackLivesMater
— krista⁷₁₃ blm (@daintyjimn) May 29, 2020
The Good News: Derek Chauvin arrested for #GeorgeFloydMurder
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) May 29, 2020
The Bad News: There’s still a 50-50 chance our POTUS decides Chauvin got a raw deal & brings him onstage at campaign events.
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