Thousands protest in Minneapolis over death of black man who died in police custody

Thousands of people filled streets Tuesday night in Minneapolis to protest the death of a black man who died in police custody.  

The arrest and victim’s death were captured on a bystander’s video in which a white police officer is seen during the arrest Monday continuing to kneel on the man’s neck despite him saying, “I can’t breathe! Please, the knee on my neck.” 

The man, 46-year-old George Floyd, died after being taken to a hospital. 

The protests were staged at the intersection where the incident occurred, outside a grocery store, in South Minneapolis, at a police station, and other parts of the city.

Four police officers were fired Tuesday in connection with the incident. 

The video appears to show one officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he is handcuffed.

Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter, saying, “This is the right call.”

The FBI and state law enforcement are investigating the incident, according to the Associated Press.

President Trump, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that the incident was a "very, very sad event." Asked if the officers involved in the death should be charged, he said officials would "look into it."

The death drew immediate comparisons to that of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died in 2014 in New York after he was placed in a chokehold by police and pleaded for his life, saying he could not breathe.