Police officer charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in death of George Floyd

by SCOTT THUMAN, Sinclair Broadcast Group

Fri, May 29th 2020, 9:42 PM UTC

In this Monday, May 25, 2020, frame from video provided by Darnella Frazier, a Minneapolis officer kneels on the neck of a handcuffed man who was pleading that he could not breathe in Minneapolis. Four Minneapolis officers involved in the arrest of a George Floyd who died in police custody were fired Tuesday. (Darnella Frazier via AP)

Law enforcement officers amassed along Lake Street near Hiawatha Ave. as fires burned after a night of unrest and protests in the death of George Floyd early Friday, May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

Protestors demonstrate outside of a burning liquor store near the Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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In this Monday, May 25, 2020, frame from video provided by Darnella Frazier, a Minneapolis officer kneels on the neck of a handcuffed man who was pleading that he could not breathe in Minneapolis. Four Minneapolis officers involved in the arrest of a George Floyd who died in police custody were fired Tuesday. (Darnella Frazier via AP)

WASHINGTON (SBG) - With tensions and tempers going well beyond a boiling point in Minnesota over the police-involved death of a 46-year-old black man named George Floyd, there are calls for investigations at the highest levels.

One of the already-fired officers, Derek Chauvin, the one seen with his knee of Floyd's neck, was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd was being detained over the alleged use of a fake $20 bill.

Now, after three nights of chaos and worries over more, an appeal for calm was prompted by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. "We have people out there putting themselves, trying to put out fires and our firefighters that are under attack!” he said during his press conference.

President Trump is calling on the National Guard and tweeted overnight “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” But Twitter flagged his post, saying it glorified violence.

"I feel very, very badly. It's a very shocking sight," the President said Thursday. "I've asked the Attorney General, FBI and the Attorney General to take a very strong look and to see what went on. Because that was a very, very bad thing that I saw."

It is familiar territory for Attorney General Barr, who 28 years ago did the same during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Dozens of people were killed and entire blocks were destroyed after a jury acquitted the officers in King's beatings. The U.S. military restored order after almost a week.

More recently, the nation saw the 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri after a white police officer shot 18-year-old Michael Brown and no charges were filed. The National Guard was again deployed. President Obama had a sympathetic ear for those who have long suffered from racism. "That's an impression that folks have and it’s not just made up," he said in 2014. "It’s rooted in realities.”

But he also admonished the protesters and said he had "no sympathy at all for destroying your own communities."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Barr just issued a statement, saying "On a separate and parallel track, the Department of Justice, including the FBI, are conducting an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights laws were violated" and said that it's "proceeding quickly."

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