Trump to review report on George Floyd’s death

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will get a "full" report regarding the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died at the hands of police officers in Minnesota.

"We’re going to look at it and we’re going to get a report tomorrow when we get back. We’re going to get a very full report," Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

He described the killing as a "very, very sad event.”

The 46-year-old man died Monday after one of the officers kneeled on his neck, despite Floyd’s repeated pleas that he could not breathe.

Shortly after, Floyd appeared to lose consciousness, but the officer maintained his position on the victim.

He died shortly after being taken to a hospital.

Video footage later emerged on Facebook showing him handcuffed and cooperating when he was initially arrested.

Four officers at the scene have been fired over the incident.

The incident sparked mass protests and an outcry against police brutality.

The protests turned into riots Tuesday after demonstrators surrounded the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd precinct. Windows of the building and police vehicles were smashed and vandalized with spray paint.

Police responded with tear gas and flash grenades.

A number of politicians and celebrities condemned Floyd’s death on Twitter, calling it "racism and police brutality."

Floyd's death has strong parallels to that of Eric Garner, who died during a fatal 2014 arrest in New York, repeatedly telling the police "I can't breathe.”

The phrase became a rallying point for protesters demonstrating against the killings of unarmed black men and women by police. It has continued to resonate nearly six years later.