(The Center Square) – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) filed a civil rights charge and will investigate the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) over the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
The widely shared video of a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes sparked protests in more than 100 U.S. cities, some peaceful and some violent.
MDHR “will seek agreement from city leadership and the MPD to immediately implement interim measures in advance of long-term measures to address systemic discriminatory practices,” a news release said.
“On May 25, 2020, near the 3700 block of Chicago Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the respondent’s officers handcuffed George Floyd, an unarmed black man and kneeled on his neck while he gasped for air and called out for help,” the charge says.
“The respondent’s officers did not respond to the calls for help, and George Floyd died.”