MN - George Floyd, unarmed man killed in police custody, Minneapolis, 25 May 2020

[Gardenista]

I wish his parents would speak up and tell the rioters how horrible this destruction is

 

[Tippy Lynn]

While the Twin Cities region rages, a neighborhood grieves a singular loss
Beautiful mural already up at the store where George Floyd was murdered

 

[Betty P]

I wish his parents would speak up and tell the rioters how horrible this destruction is

I was watching some video from yesterday. Many of the organizers of the peaceful demonstration were telling people not to become violent. Most weren't. They were trying to hide behind cars and dodge tear gas canisters while giving each other first aid. A lot of these people are trained to help with organized, peaceful demonstrations. My older son used to do it during the Occupy demonstrations.

This time around it looked like there were some outside disruptors, from the video I saw. The protestors were trying to make one of them stop breaking windows at one of the stores, but he took off. He was dressed oddly, all in black with an expensive breathing respirator, carrying a black umbrella. He was a white man. It was weird. He ignored them and kept breaking windows with a sledge hammer, then disappeared.

Tonight, it sounds like the local peaceful demonstrators have gone and its someone else out there. Not sure who.

Here's the link to video of the mystery man breaking windows at Auto Zone

ETA: Here's better video of him while he's breaking windows

The guy in the pink shirt is pretty brave following him.

 

[Dre]

The destruction sucks- it will take awhile to rebuild... I don't think ill be able to find an open Target for a couple months..

what CAN'T be rebuilt, however...

This is years and years of systematic homicide of people with brown skin by people that implement the laws.

 

[LunaInvidia]

it's always telling when someone dies and a community mourns, and you see who's more worried about property damage than a life taken, especially when protesters are unarmed and get teargassed less than a month after a group of heavily-armed protesters stormed a capital building to protest pandemic restrictions and weren't treated the same way. Is the message here that I should always be decking myself out for a protest like I'm going to war?

 

[Betty P]

it's always telling when someone dies and a community mourns, and you see who's more worried about property damage than a life taken, especially when protesters are unarmed and get teargassed less than a month after a group of heavily-armed protesters stormed a capital building to protest pandemic restrictions and weren't treated the same way. Is the message here that I should always be decking myself out for a protest like I'm going to war?

The contrast is shocking. We had those same dangerous protests in our state, too, with no arrests or complaints against heavily armed, violent people. No arrests, nothing.

Coronavirus In Ohio: Protesters Gather Outside Statehouse To Criticize Shutdowns

Armed protesters gathered outside statehouse demanding DeWine reopen Ohio

 

[dyannaON]

This might have been posted. Sorry if so.
The transcript of the 911 call on our victim in regards to the 20$ bill.....

WCCO-TV | CBS Minnesota

 

[MsBetsy]

I was referring to the violence that is occurring and the destruction of property. There is no justification for that.

Yes, it's very unfortunate. I was referring to the OP you replied to about not understanding why people were protesting, not the looting and violence taking place.

The victim's brother and the family attorney are asking for peaceful demonstrations and calling for the men to be arrested. That's what I meant by 'protesting.' I would hope there are many more nonviolent protesters than not.

Hopefully the National Guard will ensure that things don't get any more out of control and violent like it did last night. That doesn't help the situation at all.

Imo

 

[DatelineFan]

The destruction sucks- it will take awhile to rebuild... I don't think ill be able to find an open Target for a couple months..

what CAN'T be rebuilt, however...

This is years and years of systematic homicide of people with brown skin by people that implement the laws.

So, so true. I hate violence. I really do. I also sense the feeling of helplessness. It's a terrible feeling. There is literally NOTHING black people can do about this, in general. This has been going on for ages in different ways.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Yes, it's very unfortunate. I was referring to the OP you replied to about not understanding why people were protesting, not the looting and violence taking place.

The victim's brother and the family attorney are asking for peaceful demonstrations and calling for the men to be arrested. That's what I meant by 'protesting.' I would hope there are many more nonviolent protesters than not.

Hopefully the National Guard will ensure that things don't get any more out of control and violent like it did last night. That doesn't help the situation at all.

Imo

Is the National Guard there? I'm way behind, thanks. Jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Downtown Minneapolis, peaceful protest tonight (in contrast to other neighborhoods):

Liz Sawyer on Twitter

"Well over 1,000 protesters file down 3rd Ave in downtown Minneapolis with fists raised. Organizers have stressed multiple times that the march will remain peaceful. “We gotta fight these people intelligently — with our minds,” says longtime activist Mel Reeves."

 

[sds71]

A former club owner in south Minneapolis says the now-fired police officer and the black man who died in his custody this week both worked security for her club up to the end of last year.

George Floyd and now-former Officer Derek Chauvin both worked security at the El Nuevo Rodeo club on Lake Street, according to Maya Santamaria. Santamaria owned the building for nearly two decades, but sold the venue within the last few months.

"Chauvin was our off-duty police for almost the entirety of the 17 years that we were open," Santamaria said. "They were working together at the same time, it's just that Chauvin worked outside and the security guards were inside."
George Floyd, fired officer overlapped security shifts at south Minneapolis club

 

[Only4Justice]

There's a new name to add to this list. The list was already WAY TOO LONG.

Rest in peace, George Floyd.

I have privilege as a white person because I can do all of these things without thinking twice about it...

I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery).

I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).

I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).

I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark).

I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).

I can play loud music (#JordanDavis).

I can sell CD's (#AltonSterling).

I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)

I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).

I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).

I can go to church (#Charleston9).

I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).

I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell).

I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant).

I can get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).

I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).

I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).

I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .

I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).

I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott).

I can be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).

I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).

I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).

I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).

I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo).

I can run (#WalterScott).

I can breathe (#EricGarner).

I can live (#FreddieGray).

White privilege is real. Take a minute to consider someone else's experience today.

#BlackLivesMatter

sharing. Again. And again.

 

[Only4Justice]

There's a new name to add to this list. The list was already WAY TOO LONG.

Rest in peace, George Floyd.

I have privilege as a white person because I can do all of these things without thinking twice about it...

I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery).

I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).

I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).

I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark).

I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).

I can play loud music (#JordanDavis).

I can sell CD's (#AltonSterling).

I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)

I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).

I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).

I can go to church (#Charleston9).

I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).

I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell).

I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant).

I can get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).

I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).

I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).

I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .

I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).

I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott).

I can be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).

I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).

I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).

I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).

I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo).

I can run (#WalterScott).

I can breathe (#EricGarner).

I can live (#FreddieGray).

White privilege is real. Take a minute to consider someone else's experience today.

#BlackLivesMatter

sharing. Again. And again.

I’ve sat all afternoon trying to think of what kind of evidence they could possibly have that would make this less than murder. I feel like we’re already being gaslighted into questioning what I know I saw with my own eyes.

Would there be any plausible cause of death that had nothing to do with having the body weight of the officer’s knee on his throat? Let’s say the coroner comes back and says a massive heart attack is the COD. Could they reasonably argue he didn’t die because of the knee at all? What about a lethal amount of drugs in his system? It seems to me that even if something like this was true, there’s just absolutely zero doubt in my mind that excessive force was used. But I guess excessive force and murder are two very different charges.

I cannot imagine this being anything less than murder. I just can’t. And I surely pray they don’t try to sell a load of BS to the people in that community.

Please let murder charges be filed. ASAP

 

[Betty P]

A former club owner in south Minneapolis says the now-fired police officer and the black man who died in his custody this week both worked security for her club up to the end of last year.

George Floyd and now-former Officer Derek Chauvin both worked security at the El Nuevo Rodeo club on Lake Street, according to Maya Santamaria. Santamaria owned the building for nearly two decades, but sold the venue within the last few months.

"Chauvin was our off-duty police for almost the entirety of the 17 years that we were open," Santamaria said. "They were working together at the same time, it's just that Chauvin worked outside and the security guards were inside."
George Floyd, fired officer overlapped security shifts at south Minneapolis club

Strange, quite the coincidence. I hope the investigation looks into their prior knowledge of each other and whether the officer held some kind of grudge against the victim.

 

[kaen]

A former club owner in south Minneapolis says the now-fired police officer and the black man who died in his custody this week both worked security for her club up to the end of last year.

George Floyd and now-former Officer Derek Chauvin both worked security at the El Nuevo Rodeo club on Lake Street, according to Maya Santamaria. Santamaria owned the building for nearly two decades, but sold the venue within the last few months.

"Chauvin was our off-duty police for almost the entirety of the 17 years that we were open," Santamaria said. "They were working together at the same time, it's just that Chauvin worked outside and the security guards were inside."
George Floyd, fired officer overlapped security shifts at south Minneapolis club

Wow. That is interesting.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

911 transcript of call that brought police to George Floyd released

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The 911 transcript of the call that led Minneapolis Police to George Floyd on Memorial Day night shows that the caller thought a black man in their business was drunk and gave them fake bills in exchange for cigarettes.

 

[lonetraveler]

Is it just me or is anyone else think it is a bit strange how the policeman who is calmly murdering George Floyd has his hand jammed in his pants pocket the entire time?

 

[MsBetsy]

Is the National Guard there? I'm way behind, thanks. Jmo

Yes, apparently Governor Walz called them in after the Mayor requested their assistance. Imo

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Is it just me or is anyone else think it is a bit strange how the policeman who is calmly murdering George Floyd has his hand jammed in his pants pocket the entire time?

The officers hand looks like it was in his pocket, but it was actually in a fist on his upper thigh.