A video has surfaced showing brutal treatment of an unarmed black man under the knee of a US police officer before his death.
George Floyd died after being pinned down by a white officer despite yelling: "I cannot breathe."
Four Minneapolis police officers were fired on Tuesday, a day after a bystander's cell phone video captured one of them pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck.
BREAKING: 'SICKENING': FBI investigates death of black man in Minneapolis after video shows police officer kneeling on his neck.
— Grace (@Grace1101314) May 26, 2020
JUST IN: 4 responding MPD officers involved in the death of #GeorgeFloyd have been fired, Mayor says. pic.twitter.com/8e6ZY1vUJv
The white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with his knee in the US state of Minnesota, which led to his death, police has confirmed.
"I stand before you and the city of Minneapolis here to say that our deepest condolences. The vast majority of the men and women who proudly put on this uniform each and every day understand the important role and relationship that we must have, we must have will all of our community members," said Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arrandondo.
An ambulance took the suspect to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
The officers initially found the suspect, aged in his 40s, in a car while responding to a call at 8 pm local time about a forgery in progress.
Police-involved shootings and killings of unarmed black men in the hands of white police officers have led to mass protests across the country in recent years and the formation of the Black Lives Matter movement.