Prominent sports figures spoke out on Monday after video began to spread on social media showing a white Minneapolis cop with his knee on the neck of a black man who later died.
Federal authorities are investigating the incident on the request of police chief Medaria Arradondo, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Arradondo said he asked for it after receiving “additional information” and viewing the video taken by bystanders begging officers to listen to the man saying “I can’t breath.” The man’s name is George Floyd.
“Being black in America should not be a death sentence,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference, via the Star Tribune. “For five minutes, we watched a white officer press his knee into a black man’s neck. Five minutes. When year hear someone calling for help, you’re supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense. What happened on Chicago and 38th last night is awful. It was traumatic. It serves as a reminder of how far we have to go.”
He continued, visibly shaken: “Whatever the investigation reveals, it does not change the simple truth, he should still be with us this morning.”
The mayor said the officers involved have been relieved of their duty.
The video continued to circulate and draw reaction on Tuesday with sports figures lending their voices to the discussion.
Stallworth: ‘Why NFL players kneel’
Retired NFL star Donte Stallworth shared the video and pointed out it was why Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem in 2016. The former, but not retired, quarterback did it to call attention to police brutality and social justice issues.
The vide is tough to watch. Donté Stallworth✔@DonteStallworth
“Why NFL Players Kneel: Reason 1 Million”
32.7K · Washington, DCTwitter Ads info and privacy9,546 people are talking about this
Stallworth devoted a handful of tweets to the incident on Tuesday, writing on a video shared by retired defensive end Chris Long: Donté Stallworth✔@DonteStallworth ·
what kind of police training instructs you to keep your knee on someone’s neck with all your body weight for several minutes until the person loses consciousness? https://twitter.com/joel9one/status/1265286175205490689 …Donté Stallworth✔@DonteStallworth
and, of course, the trend of local news affiliates using verbal gymnastics to avoid placing any responsibility of deaths caused by police continues. most of them are basically police stenographers
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Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence said on Twitter he was “done being quiet and done being angry.” DeMarcus Lawrence✔@TankLawrence
DONE BEING QUIET AND DONE BEING ANGRY. HOW CAN WE FEEL SAFE WHEN THOSE MEANT TO PROTECT US ARE KILLIN’ US?!!!! WHEN WILL MINORITIES BE FREE TO BE AMERICANS IN AMERICA!?43.4KTwitter Ads info and privacy8,699 people are talking about this
Torrey Smith, a two-time Super Bowl winner who is vocal on issues of social justice, shared the video with the comment:
This may sound crazy but I think the second officer is just as guilty for allowing this to happen. Who is going to be first in line to defend this?
He then answered the replies and described issues with in the police ranks with holding peers accountable.
This was the perfect example. The guy was just standing there. What is their standard? What happened to holding your peers accountable to the pledge they took to “protect and serve”? https://twitter.com/sdakotaeagle/status/1265319570316853249 …Joe Van Rooyen@SDakotaEagleReplying to @TorreySmithWRPeople that like to defend this shit always say something about “A few bad apples”. The problem is that you have all these supposed “good cops” that standby and let this happen.149Twitter Ads info and privacy50 people are talking about thisTorrey Smith✔@TorreySmithWR
Why does it matter? You think that was the only way this “trained” officer could handle the man? It doesn’t matter if he stole a pack of gum or shot someone. The actions from those officers were trash 
https://twitter.com/chiefchuck19/status/1265322673304977415 …Buckscountyindahouse@chiefchuck19Replying to @TorreySmithWRwhere is the video of what caused this to happen in the first place? I wonder why we always only see the very last part of videos, it’s seems odd.265Twitter Ads info and privacy59 people are talking about this
CBS analyst and former Oakland Raiders CEO Amy Trask responded to Smith’s tweet. Torrey Smith✔@TorreySmithWR ·
This may sound crazy but I think the second officer is just as guilty for allowing this to happen. Who is going to be first in line to defend this? https://twitter.com/JamieOGrady/status/1265277103748063232 …Amy Trask✔@AmyTrask
It doesn’t sound crazy to me – both are at fault, both are to blame – horrific, tragic, wretched, cruel, disgusting and more.80Twitter Ads info and privacySee Amy Trask’s other Tweets
Washington Mystics champion Natasha Cloud, also a vocal advocate of social justice issues, wrote simply “But some of y’all will justify this.”
Retired NBA champ calls him ‘my twin’
Stephen Jackson, who won the 2003 NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs, said on Instagram that Floyd was his “twin” and “Anybody from Houston/ Cuney Homes u [sic] know this was my brother.”
He posted a series of videos and photos, which contain language.
Jackson said he sent clothes to Floyd and that the man was in Minnesota to get his life on track.
“My boy was doing what he was supposed to do, man. Y’all go and kill my brother, man.”
