Who was George Floyd? Why was George Floyd arrested by Minneapolis police?

tragic events surrounding arrest and subsequent death of George Floyd has resulted in mass protests across United States. 46-year-old resident of Minnesota was arrested by police officers on Monday, May 25. A tussle between both parties resulted in a police officer - Derek Chauvin - pinning Floyd to floor with Chauvin's knee placed on latter's neck, which caused his death. Who was George Floyd? Why was he arrested? Was this ar case of racial profiling? 

Who was George Floyd? High school football star's life gone wrong

Born in Houston, Texas, Floyd was a star tight end for Jack Yates High School in 1990s. He played in 1992 state championship game at Houston Astrodome; Yates lost to Temple, 38-20. Donnell Cooper, one of Floyd's former classmates, appeared in an interview where he described Floyd as a 'quiet personality' who was nicknamed "gentle giant".

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Who was George Floyd? Moving to Minneapolis

In 2007, Floyd was reportedly charged with armed robbery in a home invasion in Houston. In 2009, he was sentenced to five years in prison. In 2014, after being released from prison, he moved to Minneapolis in search of job opportunities. He worked as a security nt at a Salvation Army store in downtown Minneapolis. Floyd also worked as a bouncer at Conga Latin Bistro. He reportedly worked at bistro for five years and even rented a home from  owner, Jovanni Thunstrom. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Thunstrom described Floyd as t only his employee but also "a very good friend."

Floyd lived in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. He h a six-year-old daughter who lives in Houston with her mor, Roxie Washington. Floyd's former partner, Christina Dawson, paid tribute to him in a Facebook post.

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George Floyd death

According to a statement from Minneapolis PD, four officers responded to a call about a man suspected of forgery. police say Floyd initially resisted arrest which resulted in a tussle between 46-year-old and Derek Chauvin. tussle resulted in Floyd being pinned by Chauvin face down for several minutes.

incident was recorded by a nearby bystander and shows  police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck. A helpless George Floyd is seen pleing to be released as he slowly becomes motionless. An ambulance arrives at scene, with medical personnel checking for Floyd's pulse before rushing him into van. Floyd was prounced de at 9:25 pm local time on Monday at Hennepin County Medical Center.

four identified police officers - Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng - were fired by   Minneapolis Police Department on Tuesday.  FBI is reportedly conducting a federal civil rights investigation into incident while state bureau will also conduct an independent investigation. 

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George Floyd death: Protests and riots across America

Since foot spre like wildfire on social media, streets of Minneapolis and several cities saw numerous riots and protests. African-American community paid hom to Floyd and demanded that  police officer be charged with murder. In yet ar incident of racism and racial profiling, several NBA and NFL stars joined in community outr demanding justice for George Floyd.

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