Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Imposes 8 P.M. Curfew Through Weekend

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) on Friday afternoon announced he is enacting a curfew for the city this weekend, between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., as the city reels from violent protests over the death of George Floyd. 

The announcement comes after Minneapolis was rocked the past two nights by violent protests and looting. Late Thursday, rioters set fire to the city’s Third Precinct building near the area where Floyd died after Minneapolis Derek Chauvin pressed his knee down on Floyd’s neck while handcuffed.

Earlier Friday, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Chauvin had been charged with third-degree murder.

“He is in custody and has been charged with murder,” Freeman said of the fired police officer. “We have evidence, we have the citizen’s camera’s video, the horrible, horrific, terrible thing we have all seen over and over again, we have the officer’s body-worn camera, we have statements from some witnesses.”

Floyd was pronounced dead after the arrest on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a grocery store. Video of the African-American man gasping for breath as the white police officer kneeled on the back of his neck for several minutes quickly circulated online, igniting a three-day wave of protests and rioting in the Twin Cities and elsewhere in the country.

Chauvin was taken into custody earlier Friday by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Freeman said prosecutors were still reviewing the evidence and indicated there could be further charges brought against Chauvin.

He and three other officers involved in Floyd’s death were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department shortly after the video was released. Freeman said investigations of the others were ongoing.

The UPI contributed to this report.