Floyd Begged 20 Times; NYPD Oversight Sought: Protest Wrap
Brooks Case Probe Sought; U.K. Slavery Claims: Protest Wrap
(Bloomberg) -- George Floyd, whose death sparked national protests over racial injustice, told officers more than 20 times that he could not breathe, according to newly released transcripts of Minneapolis police body-camera footage, the New York Times reported. The transcripts were filed in court by a former officer asking a judge to throw out charges he aided and abetted the murder of Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a White cop.
In New York, Attorney General Letitia James proposed sweeping changes in the way New York City regulates the largest U.S. police department, including more oversight of many officer practices and strategies, and less authority for the police commissioner. James was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to investigate the relationship of the NYPD with city residents in the aftermath of protests over Floyd’s death.
A coalition of labor unions and racial justice groups plans to hold a mass walkout from work on July 20 to protest U.S. systemic racism and police brutality, the Associated Press reported. The planned “Strike for Black Lives” is expected to include tens of thousands of fast food, ride-share, nursing home and airport workers in more than 25 cities. The duration, about eight minutes, refers to the amount of time a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck.
U.S. Representative Doug Collins called on the Justice Department to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, claiming an “egregious abuse of power” over the handling of the Rayshard Brooks case. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Georgia Republican and ally of President Donald Trump blasted Howard’s demand that the officer charged in Brooks’s shooting be held behind bars until trial, calling it a “dangerous precedent.”
The U.K.’s National Crime Agency said it’s reviewing allegations of modern slavery at textile businesses in Leicester. In the U.S., Trump’s stands on the Confederate battle flag and names on military bases have alienated swing voters. Trump’s poll numbers have sunk in recent weeks amid dissatisfaction with his handling of police brutality against Black Americans and his management of the coronavirus pandemic.
Key Developments:
- Federal Agency to Retain Offensive Campground Names: Billings Gazette
- New Mexico Governor Signs Law Requiring Police Body Cameras
- Robin Hood Foundation Looks to Support More Groups Led by People of Color
- Howard Taps Bond Market Most Black Colleges Miss Out On
- Two Charged With Hate Crime After Black Lives Matter Mural Is Vandalized
- Letter Signed By J.K. Rowling, Noam Chomsky Warns of Stifled Free Speech
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Police using military-grade equipment on protesters:
Controversy over Georgia’s Stone Mountain:
Bubba Wallace on the noose incident:
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