Minneapolis Mayor: Technique Used in Floyd Arrest ‘Not Authorized’ – Arresting Officer Needs to Be Charged

During a press conference on Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said there isn’t a good answer for why the arresting officer in the death of George Floyd is not behind bars and called for the arresting officer to be charged. He also stated that the technique that was used on Floyd during his arrest isn’t allowed by the Minneapolis police and its officers are not trained to use it.

Frey stated, “Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail? If you had done it, or I had done it. We would be behind bars right now. And I cannot come up with a good answer to that question. And so, I’m calling on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to act on the evidence before him. I’m calling on him to charge the arresting officer in this case.”

Frey later added, “We watched, for five whole, excruciating minutes, as a white officer firmly pressed his knee into the neck of an unarmed, handcuffed black man. … By the way, there — that particular technique that was used is not authorized by the MPD. It is not something that officers are trained in — on. And it should not be used, period.”

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