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The death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the hands of Minneapolis police may have been the catalyst for the widespread movement to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
It may have been the final straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for many people.
Apprehended for purportedly trying to pass a $20 counterfeit bill, Afro-American Floyd was put on the pavement under the knee of white officer Derek Chauvin for over 8 minutes. Despite saying “I can’t breathe” 4 times and “Please” 3 times, Floyd was held in the same position, Chauvin’s knee at the back of his neck, until he stopped breathing and his heart ceased beating.
Was it the intent of law enforcement that Floyd die in this manner?Regardless, he did.
Bystanders videotaped the event. Chauvin seemed not to care. None of the 3 other police officers present intervened. Their apathy is astonishing. The neglect they all manifested can in no way be interpreted as benign.
No one should be killed under such circumstance.
Floyd’s death was a lonely one. Even worse, perhaps, than dying alone because the hostile few who surrounded him were the ones who could have prevented it. But they didn’t.
There have been other deaths of black people at the hands of others. Some have died under similar circumstance. Others…
