“Please, I Cannot Breathe!:” Minneapolis Man Dies After White Cop Cuts Off His Airway By Kneeling On His Neck
Shocked, heartbroken, and furious. Those are just some of the words to describe many people who came across the disturbing video showing a white Minneapolis police officer pinning a black man to the ground with his knees moments before he loses consciousness and dies.
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The clip was taken by a bystander in south Minneapolis on Monday. Apparently, cops were responding to a “forgery in progress” when they arrived at the scene and saw the unidentified man sitting in a car. According to the Department, the man resisted arrest so he was placed in handcuffs, adding “he appeared to be suffering medical distress.” The Department also noted that “At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident.”
In the now-viral clip, you could hear the man begging, “Please. Please, I cannot breathe,” repeatedly to the cops. The arresting officer continues to kneel on the man’s neck for several minutes and ignores the man as he moans in pain. The other officers on the scene also ignore the man. But a passerby screams, “That’s bulls***, bro. You’re stopping his breathing right there, bro. Get him off the ground, bro,” adding the officer was “enjoying it.” Several other witnesses are then heard arguing with the two arresting officers over their excessive use of force. Sadly, the man becomes motionless. An ambulance eventually shows up and the man is taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
According to the Daily Mail, this latest incident has sparked an FBI investigation into the man’s death. The news site notes all body camera footage has been turned over to the BCA, which investigates most police shootings and in-custody deaths. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has also joined the FBI in its investigation.
The officers involved have been put on paid administrative leave, per department protocol.
Press Play Below To Watch The Full Clip:
Minneapolis Police kill a black man on 38th and Chicago.
He is screaming, “I can’t breathe” as police drive their knee on his throat for over three minutes. pic.twitter.com/1hhBLAqy8K
— Keaon Dousti کیان (@KeaonDousti) May 26, 2020
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