Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of New York City, has condemned the gruesome murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer.
Blasio, who expressed his indignation over the barbaric act in a statement released on his Facebook page on Friday May 29, 2020, called for appropriate legal actions against the perpetrator.
Blasio stated that the police officer who asphyxiated the victim didn’t seem to care that he was taking another man’s life.
“I’ve seen the video. I am horrified. George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight, and the man who killed him was a police officer.
“And that officer didn’t seem to care at all that he was taking a man’s life. If George was white, he would be alive right now,” Blasio said.
“This nation has devalued the lives of Black men for centuries. It has to end. And it will only end when there are consequences for those who do wrong.
“These officers need to be charged immediately,” he added.
Floyd died late on Monday, when officers responded to a call from a grocery store that claimed Floyd had used a forged check. Police said Floyd “physically resisted officers” while possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
In the video footage, witnesses can be heard shouting at officers to get off Floyd’s neck. One yells: “Bro, he’s not even moving!” Another asks, “You’re going to just sit there with your knee on his neck?”
