Minneapolis Police Officer Detained After Death of George Floyd

America has spoken, loudly, and Minneapolis is beginning to hear what is being said.

After the death of George Floyd became national news this week, the nation roared to action.  A grim and gruesome video of Floyd’s death had been making the rounds on social media, depicting a police officer kneeling on the handcuffed, prone man’s neck until he stopped breathing.  As the officers involved remained free, Minneapolis and other cities burned.  The people of this nation were demanding justice for George.

Now, that process has begun.

The state of Minnesota announced Friday afternoon that Derek Chauvin, the former police officer seen pressing his knee on the neck of George Floyd shortly before he passed out and died, has been arrested.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman revealed that Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter roughly 50 minutes after his arrest became known to the public.

Shortly before noon, state officials held a press conference on the Floyd George case — leading with Governor Tim Walz (D) and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), who urged for calm and an end to violent riots which have destroyed businesses in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The state’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner John Harrington spoke at the press conference but called reporters back to the room minutes after its end to announce the arrest.

Harrington would go on to say that he believed Floyd’s death was a “murder”, but that he didn’t wish for his take on the matter to influence the work of prosecutors.