Mr. Lane, prosecutors said, “put his hands on Mr. Floyd and pulled him out of the car.” Then Mr. Floyd “actively resisted being handcuffed.” Once handcuffed, Mr. Floyd became compliant while Mr. Lane explained he was being arrested for “passing counterfeit currency.” Court transcripts from police body cameras show Mr Floyd appears cooperative at the beginning of the arrest, repeatedly apologizing to the officers after they approach his parked car.
Mr. Chauvin arrived at the scene approximately 8:19 PM and, along with other officers, attempted to put Mr. Floyd in the police car. During this attempt, Mr. Chauvin pulled Mr. Floyd away from the passenger side, causing him to fall to the ground, the report said. He lay there, face down, still in handcuffs.
That’s when witnesses started to film Mr. Floyd, who appeared to be in a distressed state. These moments, captured on multiple mobile phones and shared widely on social media, would prove to be Mr. Floyd’s last. Mr. Floyd was restrained by officers, while Mr. Chauvin placed his left knee between his head and neck. For more than nine minutes, Mr Chauvin kept his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck. At 8:27, Mr. Chauvin removed his knee from Mr. Floyd’s neck. Mr. Floyd was rolled onto a gurney and taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center in an ambulance. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.
May 26, 2020: Police issue a statement saying Floyd died after a “medical incident” and that he physically resisted. Video of Floyd’s death circulates widely. Protests begin in Minneapolis. Demonstrations quickly spread to other cities across the United States.
May 27, 2020: Protests intensify in Minneapolis, with thousands gathering at the site of Floyd’s death and the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct. Throughout the day, Minneapolis police responded to the protests by firing rubber bullets into the crowd below.
May 28, 2020: Gov. Tim Walz activates the Minnesota National Guard. Police abandon the 3rd Precinct station as protesters overtake it and set it on fire. About three miles west of the Third Precinct, protesters blanketed the area near the Fifth Precinct, heavily damaging at least seven buildings—including a U.S. Post Office, a Wells Fargo branch, a staffing agency, and a Subway in a nearby strip mall.
May 29, 2020: Officer Derek Chauvin is arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activates the National Guard to assist local law enforcement in managing the escalating unrest.
June 1, 2020: Autopsy reports classify Floyd’s death as a homicide, confirming that he died from cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement officers. Protests continue nationwide, with many remaining peaceful, while some cities experience further clashes between demonstrators and police.
April 20, 2021: After a high-profile trial, Derek Chauvin is found guilty on all charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The verdict is met with widespread relief and seen as a significant moment in the pursuit of police accountability.
Other US Protests
An overarching theme throughout the protests was that the actions of police were greatly underreported in real time. In cities throughout the country, police seemed to respond to largely peaceful protests with violence.
While the left continues to believe in the original goals of the protest, believing that police in America tend to enact violence upon the black community at a level far higher than they should, the right tends to support the police over the black community.