Black CNN Reporter Arrested Live on Air While Reporting on Protests

It all happened on Monday.

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Passers-by in Minneapolis witnessed and filmed 2 police officers "arresting" George Floyd for an assumed forgery incident.

Police found George matching a suspect's description in his car.

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Even though he didn't resist arrest, one of the officers got him on the ground and pinned him there by pressing their knee into his neck.

This position was clearly very painful for him...

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"Please, please, I can't breathe," George can be heard begging in harrowing footage as the officers remain standing.

George's nose began to bleed...

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"My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts," he moaned as passers-by began to gather and repeatedly plead with the officer to stop leaning on him.

Multiple witnesses argued with the officers when he started to lose consciousness...

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"He's not f****** moving!" one witness shouted as another says, "Get the f*** off him, he isn't moving!" One of the officers responded, "This is why you don't do drugs, kids."

After around 4 minutes of the officer kneeling on him, George was completely unresponsive.

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An ambulance arrived, and the paramedics checked his pulse and moved his body onto a stretcher - but he was later pronounced dead in the hospital.

George was only forty-six-years-old...

And he did not deserve to die.

The police officers involved have shown absolutely no emotion, regret, or urgency...

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And a huge amount of backlash has hit the headlines.

The officers involved have been put on paid administrative leave, per department protocol...

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And in total, 4 police officers have been fired following George's death. But many feel that more should be done.

The haunting footage of George's death began circulating online...

And it has left millions of people both heartbroken and disgusted.

People all around the world have been left furious over George's unjustified death.

But many are feeling completely hopeless due to the fact that this blatant racism is happening more and more in our country.

When will this violence stop?

And when will police officers who have caused his death be properly convicted for their crimes?

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed the incident in a press conference on Tuesday morning, referring to events in the video as "wrong at every level."

"Being black in America should not be a death sentence. For 5 minutes we watched as a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of a black man. For 5 minutes," he said.

"When you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic human sense. What happened on Chicago and 38th, this last night, is simply awful."

He then held another press conference on Wednesday...

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And this time, he called for the outright arrest of Derek Chauvin - the officer who is responsible for the murder of George Floyd.

The Mayor pointed out that if any normal person had committed this horrific act, they would be in jail right now.

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"Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail?" Frey asked during the press conference. "If you had done it or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now, and I cannot come up with a good answer to that question."

Frey described the decision to fire the officers as "the right call," but he urged the Hennepin County attorney to take further action.

"I'm calling on the Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to act on the evidence before him," he said. "I'm calling on him to charge the arresting officer in this case. We cannot turn a blind eye. It is on us as leaders to see this as it is and call it what it is."

Justice needs to be served.

Derek Chauvin needs to face up to his actions regardless of his position in the police force.

Protests have been held in George's memory all around the country...

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But Minneapolis has been restless for the entire week.

The protests started 2 days ago...

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With the permission of the mayor, thousands upon thousands of protesters took to the streets on Wednesday to express their hurt and their anger at the injustice.

But things very quickly turned violent.

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As thousands of people took to the streets, the police force became involved when shops started getting looted and police cars were being attacked.

Police officers in riot gear pelted the crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets...

And when protestors began fighting back, things turned very ugly and the mass brawl continued into the night.

Things are looking dire for the city right now...

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And it is currently unknown as to when any sort of peace will be restored.

Reporters from all stations have been attending the riots to provide updates...

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But, in the early hours today, one news reporter was targeted by the police, and the irony is simply sickening.

Omar Jimenez is a national correspondent for CNN.

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The accomplished journalist started out his career in Baltimore but is now based in Washington D.C, where he travels from to various parts of the country to report on major events.

This week, he has been in Minnesota...

Reporting on the protests and riots regarding George Floyd's murder.

But, while he was reporting live back to CNN...

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He came into difficulties with the police.

Jimenez was halfway through describing the turbulent scenes unfolding around him when a row of riot police stopped him.

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While still streaming live to CNN, the police confronted Jimenez and the rest of the crew, evidently and somehow unaware that he was part of the media. Didn't the huge cameras and mics give it away?

Jimenez could be heard asking the officers where they wanted him and his "New Day" camera crew to stand, and even offering to move back...

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But his efforts were to no avail because live on air, he was placed in handcuffs and arrested.

He told the police several times that they were "live on air"...

But, regardless, they still lead him away. A CNN producer and a camera operator were also placed in handcuffs, according to reports.

Thankfully, Jimenez and the crew were released after an hour.

"In the course of clearing the streets and restoring order at Lake Street and Snelling Avenue, four people were arrested by State Patrol troopers, including three members of a CNN crew," the Minnesota State Patrol said on Twitter. "The three were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media."

Understandably, his arrest caused shock and horror for all those watching...

And it has served as a poignant reminder of the ongoing racism this country is battling against.

The whole thing is completely baffling.

And even a law professional has weighed in on the sickening situation. “It didn’t make any sense to me," law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey said about the arrest of the team who had clearly identified themselves as press. “…There’s no way something like that should occur."

And, if you still don't think that this is an example of racism...

Josh Campbell, another CNN reporter who was at the riot and just so happens to be white, told the network he had met no police resistance while covering the protests.

You can watch the full video here.

What kind of world are we living in? Rest in peace George Floyd. We can only hope that his murder can help to save the lives of other black men and women in the future.