George Floyd’s fiancee and family have appealed for calm and said he wouldn’t want people to get hurt after a night of violence saw a man shot dead and clashes with police.
Courteney Ross spoke out after carnage unfolded in the streets of the US city of Minneapolis amid growing anger on the second night of protests after Mr Floyd’s death in police custody.
A pawn shop owner shot a man to death as shops were looted, several buildings were torched and police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse gatherings.
In a tearful new interview, Philonise Floyd said the officers “executed” his 46-year-old brother and should be charged with murder and “get the death penalty”.
Ms Ross said she was “heartbroken” by Wednesday night’s unrest.
She told the Star Tribune: “Floyd would not want people to get hurt.
“He lived his life protecting people. That is the truth.”
Mr Floyd’s family has called for the four officers involved in his death to be charged with murder. All four have been sacked by the police force.
No one has been charged.
The death is being investigated by the FBI and the probe is being overseen by the US Department of Justice.
Mr Floyd’s brother, Philonise, sobbed as he told CNN on Thursday: “These officers, they need to be arrested right now. They need to be arrested and held accountable about everything, because these people want justice right now.
“Justice is these guys need to be arrested, convicted of murder, and given the death penalty.”
“As I watched the video, those four officers, they executed my brother.”
Philonise Floyd added that he wants protests to be peaceful, “but people are torn and hurt because they’re tired of seeing black men die constantly over and over again.”
Mr Floyd died after he was pinned down in the street by Minneapolis Police Department on Monday night.
White police officer Derek Chauvin, 44, put his knee on the neck of handcuffed Mr Floyd, a black man, for about eight minutes while pinning him down.
Footage captured by a witness shows Mr Floyd lying face down, gasping for air and groaning, and repeatedly saying, “please, I can’t breathe,” before growing motionless as he was detained by four officers.
Mr Floyd was unarmed and had been accused of trying to pass counterfeit bills at a corner eatery when he was confronted by police.
He was taken by ambulance from the scene and pronounced dead in hospital later the same night.
The policeman shown kneeling on Floyd’s neck and three fellow officers involved were dismissed from the police department on Tuesday as the FBI opened an investigation.138208672551
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has urged prosecutors to file criminal charges against the white policeman shown pinning Mr Floyd to the street.
The US Department of Justice said on Thursday it had made its investigation into police involvement in the death of Mr Floyd a “top priority”.
Experienced prosecutors and investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation had been assigned as part of a “robust” probe into whether the police officers involved had violated federal laws, the department said in a statement.
