A video of a police officer pinning a handcuffed black man to the ground by kneeling on his neck recently went viral.
Police reportedly apprehended the victim, identified as George Floyd, for alleged forgery. Floyd, who later died at a nearby hospital, can be seen in the video telling the officer and his three colleagues "I can't breathe" as onlookers watched in horror.
The four cops involved were immediately fired.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed their termination at a news conference. "It is the right decision for our city, the right decision for our community. It is the right decision for the Minneapolis Police Department," he said. "We've stated our values, and ultimately we need to live by them."
NBA personalities, from stars like LeBron James to coaches like Steve Kerr, were up in arms against the latest incident of police brutality:
Back in 2014, LeBron and Derrick Rose, among other players, wore black "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts to honor Eric Garner, who died of suffocation after a cop put him in a chokehold during an arrest.
"It's just for us to make a [statement] to understand what we're going through as a society," James was quoted by ESPN. "I've been quoted over and over about what's going on as far as it's more of a notion to the family, more than anything. Obviously, as a society we have to do better. We have to be better for one another. It doesn't matter what race you are. It's more of a shout out to the family more than anything, because they're the ones that should be getting all the energy and effort."
As of posting, protestors have gathered in the street where Floyd died, chanting "No justice, no peace!" and "I can't breathe!", reports CNN. Some have marched to a nearby police precinct. Police have fired tear gas canisters into the crowd.
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