George Floyd killing: Police officer Derek Chauvin arrested over death during botched arrest


A US police officer whose alleged killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man whose death during a botched arrest in the city of Minneapolis sparked protesting, has been arrested.

Derek Chauvin, who was seen in an explosive video pressing his knee to the neck of handcuffed Floyd for at least five minutes, was arrested earlier on Friday, said John Harrington, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

"I have just received information from Andrew Evans, the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, that the officer who has been identified as Derek Chauvin in the death of Mr Floyd has been taken into custody by the BCA," Harrington told reporters.

CNN reporter released

Earlier on Friday, police in Minneapolis arrested a black CNN reporter who had been with his film crew while reporting live. He was later released. 

Officers gave no explanation as they escorted reporter Omar Jimenez away. He had just shown a protester being arrested when about half a dozen police officers in gas masks surrounded him. More than an hour later, the crew was released.

"What gave me one bit of comfort was that it happened on live TV," Jimenez told viewers after he was released. "You don't have to doubt my story - it's not filtered in any way; you saw it with your own eyes."