On May 25, Minneapolis police detained 46-year-old George Floyd. According to law enforcement agencies themselves, during the arrest “the black man refused to get out of the car and offered physical resistance.”

In their own words, to arrest him, they handcuffed George.  While being arrested, Floyd was held down by a Minneapolis police officer’s knee. The video shows Floyd pleading that he is in pain and can’t breathe. Then, his eyes shut and the pleas stop. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

The death of Mr. Floyd is deeply disturbing and should be of concern to all Americans.

Calls grow for the prosecution of four Minneapolis police officers over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man.

A video of the incident shows Floyd pleading with police and eventually appearing motionless as the officer’s knee remained on his neck. Bystanders can be heard urging the officer to get off of Floyd.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined calls for the officer who pinned Floyd down to be arrested, asking: “Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail?”He added: “If you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now.”

Medaria Arradondo, the city’s first Black police chief, swiftly fired the four officers involved, a move community leaders acknowledged as “a win”, but said should only be the first step.

‘No justice, no peace’

Calls for justice for Floyd have reverberated across the country, with hundreds of protesters taking their demands to the streets of Minneapolis.

On Tuesday night, demonstrators filled the intersection where Floyd was pinned down, chanting “I can’t breathe” and “no justice, no peace”. Floyd’s death has been compared to that of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man who died in 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by New York City police and pleading: “I can’t breathe.”

Video from Tuesday’s demonstration showed police using tear gas against some protesters who marched to a police precinct. There were also reports of non-lethal projectiles being fired by police. Authorities said some protesters destroyed a window of the precinct and sprayed graffiti on police vehicles. Three people were arrested, police said. Hundreds also marched in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday to demand justice for Floyd and the end to police brutality.

US President Donald Trump publicly addressed Floyd’s death for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, calling it a “very sad event”.

Hundreds also marched in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday to demand justice for Floyd and the end to police brutality.

The story of George Floyd’s death stirred the Internet, followed by a flurry of indignation among the public, politicians, and Hollywood stars, including Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Eva Longoria, Justin Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Stephen Jackson.

They and other celebrities posted photos of George in their accounts demanding that all officers involved in the death of the man be charged.

Instagram is filled with publications and stories with the hashtag #justiceforfloyd and #GeorgeFloyd, where hundreds of people around the world show their support and demand justice.  Whether the investigation will be conducted and how the fate of the former police officers will turn out is still unknown.