The death of George Floyd, an African American man, in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer led to protests in different cities. The man died when the police tried to arrest him. As a result, a group of protesters arrived outside the White House. Donald Trump, who was present in the White House, praised the US Secret Service for the way they confronted the protesters.
He even added that those protesting could have faced a vicious bunch of canines. The president went on to offer his condolences and sympathies to the family of George Floyd. It was similar to what Joe Biden had said. He is, incidentally, the most likely opponent from the Democratic Party to meet Trump in the presidential election in November. Biden had talked to the family of the deceased and said: “This is no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis, and we need real leadership right now.”
The Guardian describes the scenes outside the White House. Protesters came armed with a variety of objects like bricks, and bottles.
They chanted words and slogans to express their anger and hurled the objects towards the Secret Service and US park police officers. The latter were in riot gear and protected by barricades. The protest went on for quite some time, and the police finally declared it “unlawful.” They ordered the crowd to disperse, and a section of the officers pushed forward with their shields and used pepper spray. Trump witnessed the events from the White House, and he appreciated the way the Secret Service reacted.
A police officer - minimum force
George Floyd, an African American man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. The sequence of events, in this case, shows that things of this nature can go out of control.
A police officer is a member of the agency that enforces the law, and they usually use minimum force. However, in this instance, it resulted in an unfortunate death.
Donald Trump dropped hints that the protesters had professional backing. He did not provide any proof in support of his statement. The death was of a man in police custody. In such situations, many leaders choose their words with care in order to prevent unpleasantness.
The Guardian adds that President Trump was not happy with the way Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, DC, handled the situation. The mayor had not sent the DC police to help. Moreover, Trump felt the Democratic mayors and state governors were to blame for the unrest and riots that have had an adverse effect on businesses.
Police officers face a balancing act
According to Sky News, the death of an unarmed George Floyd at the hands of the police and subsequent public unrest killed another man. He was a 19-year-old, and he died when police fired into the crowds, and one of the shots struck him. It happened in Detroit, Michigan. There were thousands of protesters in the streets across the country, and police were in readiness for renewed violence. As a precautionary measure, the army asked military police units to remain on standby.
The number of protesters was in hundreds, and they held up posters, waved flags, and even hurled bottles. In Washington DC, the White House was under lockdown for a brief period. It was in Minneapolis, where George Floyd (46) died.
It seems one of the police officers had pinned him down, and the severity of the act led to his death. The authorities first sacked the officer and later charged him with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The charges have come after three days of protests across the United States.
Tact is an asset for a police officer
The authorities appoint a police officer to maintain law and order. They undergo training to perform their duties and have to follow certain guidelines. He has to be tactful while handling extraordinary situations. An example from Canada highlights the point. In April 2018, a police officer in Toronto talked a killer into surrender. However, in May 2017, a Texas police officer shot and killed a teenager. It was at the end of the school year party for teenagers.