(WXMI) — Outrage boiling over nationwide in response to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd.
His last moments caught on video Monday, while being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill.
Floyd was held down by a Minneapolis police officer, the officer’s knee on his neck.
In the video you can hear Floyd say, “I'm about to die." His pleas were unanswered, he died shortly after.
In response to his death, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and cities across the nation.
Here in Michigan, groups gathered peacefully in Lansing at the Capitol to protest brutality against people of color and give a voice to the voiceless.
“Our words are power. We have the power to change the narrative in this country for this generation and generations to come,” Jamie Gabriel said.
Three West Michigan congressmen also shared their thoughts on the video of Floyd's death.
Representative Justin Amash, tweeted “We witnessed the murder of George Floyd on video in broad daylight, why have the perpetrators not been arrested and charged?”
“It is encouraging to see people come out in support of Mr. Floyd and his family. You know, it's just it's just discouraging that he didn't have that kind of support before,” Tracey Brame said.
Brame a civil rights expert, lawyer and associate dean at Western Michigan University's Cooley Law School.
“One of the most disturbing things about these kinds of situations is the seeming lack of respect for life of this young man,” Brame said.
“I have a husband around, Mr. Floyd's age and I have a young son, who will be 14 this year. I guess the words that we use to describe it, we're emotionally disturbing. I also immediately sent a message to my husband and just said it's just exhausting, it's exhausting” she added.
Brame says well changes to the law have occurred in the past, It’s going to take a nationwide, systemic and cultural change to prevent things like this from continuing to happen.
“I think the law has done what it's can to put what it can to put people of color on equal footing, legally, right and to hopefully enforce the rights of every American citizen can have. But one thing that the law can't do and that we have to do as citizens, is to really address the heart and mind issues. You can say you can't discriminate against this person because of color but you can't make someone respect them as a person,” Brame said.
“I often say, and I think this very deeply that our country in general has a lot of work to do around the issue of race around unpacking our history,” she added.
The four police officers involved have been fired.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is calling for the officer whose knee was on Floyd’s neck to be arrested, and asking protesters for peace.
President Trump also commented on the video saying his heart goes out to George’s family and friends, adding that justice will be served.
