The Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd has been arrested. Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington announced that former officer Derek Chauvin was taken into custody on Friday (May 29). Of the four officers involved in Floyd's death, he was the only one taken into custody.
Chauvin is the officer who was seen in a video putting his knee on Floyd's throat. Floyd begged for help and told officers he was in pain and couldn't breathe. Chauvin ignored Floyd's pleas and left his knee on his throat for about eight minutes. Eventually, EMTs arrive and took Floyd's motionless body away on a stretcher.
Chauvin was fired along with Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J Alexander Kueng earlier in the week.
Floyd's death sparked days of riots in protests in Minneapolis and cities across the country. On Thursday night, protesters burned down the police precinct where the four officers used to work.
Chauvin has been charged with third degree murder and manslaughter.
"We have never charged a case in that kind of time frame, and we can only charge a case when we have sufficient admissible evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. As of right now, we have that," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. "We have charged this case as quickly, as sufficient admissible evidence to charge it has been investigated and presented to us. "
Photo: ABC News