George Floyd 's family and their attorney called for peaceful and socially distanceprotests after Floyd's death by a police officer in Minneapolis.- "We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic," the statement read.
- Video shows a white police officer kneeling on Floyd's back for about eight minutes. He later died at a hospital.
- Floyd who is black could be heard saying "Please, please, please, I can't breathe. Don't kill me," on the video.
George Floyd's family and their attorney have called for socially distant protests in light of the
"We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic. We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice," the statement read.
On Monday, a video circulated online showing a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, kneeling on George Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes, Business Insider previously reported.
"Please, please, please, I can't breathe," Floyd says in the video. "Don't kill me."
About four minutes into the video, Floyd became unresponsive. He died later at the hospital.
A police statement on Tuesday said he had been experiencing "medical distress" and was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Four police officers who were involved in his death were fired, Mayor Jacob Frey said on Tuesday.
The FBI and state authorities are investigating Floyd's death.
"I believe what I saw, and what I saw was wrong at every level," Frey said in a press conference on Tuesday. and added: "Being black in America should not be a death sentence."
On Tuesday, thousands of people protested in Minneapolis over Floyd's killing, Business Insider reported. According to local outlet WCCO, protestors wore masks and tried to socially distance as much as possible.
"The community is understandably and rightfully upset by the wrongful death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, and their grief and outrage are pouring out onto the streets of Minneapolis," the statement from Floyd's family and their lawyer read. "We share these painful emotions and demand justice, but we also urge everyone who wishes to raise their voice to engage in peaceful protests and observe social distancing."
While Tuesday's protests began peacefully, they escalated as protestors and police officers began to clash. Officers eventually deployed tear gas and other riot-control measures.
Protests continued on Wednesday, but the scene turned violent with reports of looting and shops on fire in Minneapolis.
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