Former President Jerry John Rawlings has condemned the killing of George Floyd by some four police officers in Minnesota in the United States of America.
The former President in a tweet said: “It is heart-warming to see Americans react the way they are to the unfortunate incident.”
He said the incident was “shameful and unfortunate”.
Background
The death of George Floyd, an African-American man from Minnesota, occurred on May 25, 2020, when Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for over 8 minutes.
Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the road, while Chauvin had his knee on his neck.
The incident occurred during Floyd’s arrest in Powderhorn, a neighbourhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was recorded on smartphones of bystanders.
The arrest was conducted after Floyd allegedly attempted to use a $20 bill in a deli, which an employee identified as counterfeit.
Police alleged that Floyd “physically resisted” after being ordered to exit his vehicle before the video was filmed.
Video recording by bystanders, show the arrested Floyd repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe”.
The four officers involved were fired the next day.
George Floyd: Protesters set Minneapolis police station ablaze
The police station in Minneapolis was set ablaze by protestors during the third night of protests over Mr George Floyd’s death.
The unrest continued despite the governor of Minnesota ordering the deployment of hundreds of members of the National Guard to restore order.
President Donald Trump said, “thugs” were “dishonouring the memory” of George Floyd, 46, who died on Monday.
Mr Floyd’s family have also demanded the four police officers implicated in his death face murder charges.
The incident has added to longstanding anger over the police killings of African-Americans.
