Police across America condemn Minneapolis officer

Police chiefs throughout the United States have not held back in describing the death of George Floyd as “brutality” and “deeply disturbing.” Floyd died on Monday in Minneapolis after an officer restrained him by kneeling on his neck. A bystander captured the incident on video, which shows Floyd saying he couldn’t breathe.

What made the reaction so decisive? Police often wait until investigations are complete before publicly speaking on the use of force in arrests, but Floyd’s death has drawn blistering criticism. “This kind of brutality is terrible, and it needs to stop,” said Polk County, Ga., Sheriff Johnny Moats. “All officers involved need to be arrested and charged immediately.” David Roddy, a police chief from Chattanooga, Tenn., tweeted, “There is no need to put a knee on someone’s neck for NINE minutes.” Few officers attempted to justify the actions of the police in the video. “When bad things happen in our profession, we need to be able to call it like it is,” Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Emily Belz’s report on racial tensions in New York City after the chokehold death of Eric Garner.