Officer Who Pinned George Floyd to the Ground Has Been Arrested

UPDATE: Chauvin has been charged with third degree murder. Attorney General Bill Barr responded.

ORIGINAL POST

State DPS Commissioner John Harrington has announced that Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who pinned George Floyd to the ground with his knee pressed against his neck for several minutes, has himself been arrested. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension placed him in custody this morning.

Chauvin's arrest comes after three days of rioting and looting in Minneapolis, and after Mayor Jacob Frey called for criminal charges against the officer.

Three other officers were involved in the death of George Floyd, who was arrested after being discovered to have possession of a counterfeit bill. The officers claimed he resisted arrest, but video footage of the deadly altercation suggests otherwise. In the footage, Floyd can be heard pleading with the officers, "Please. Please. I can't breathe." All four officers were fired from duty.

On Thursday, Hennepin County Attorney surprised observers when he said that he had evidence to suggest that there would be no criminal charges in this case. He pledged to not "rush to justice."

Townhall's Julio Rosas has been covering the Minneapolis riots for us directly from the chaotic scene.