Mr. Floyd supposedly died on May 25, 2020, after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, who is white, for more than nine minutes. The county medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by a combination of the officers’ use of force, the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Mr. Floyd’s system and his underlying health conditions.
Bystander video of the encounter quickly went viral.
The disturbing video incited large protests against police brutality and systemic racism in Minneapolis and across the United States in the months that followed, leading to a racial justice movement not seen since the civil rights protests of the 1960s. The National Guard was activated in at least 21 states, and cities announced curfews as protesters filled the streets for demonstrations that sometimes turned destructive.
Law enforcement was criticized for responding to the protests — a majority of which were peaceful — with force, by spraying tear gas and shooting rubber bullets at protesters, and conducting mass arrests.
After the video of the arrest surfaced, the Minneapolis Police Department fired Mr. Chauvin and the three other officers involved.