SAN DIEGO — Taking a stand on an issue that has unleashed new waves of anguish about U.S. race relations, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit today offered his condolences to the family of a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground by the neck with his knee and held him there until he passed out.
"Our profession must do better," Nisleit said of the Memorial Day death of 46-year-old George Floyd, who was handcuffed and repeatedly protested that he could not breathe during the ordeal.
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The violent arrest, a witness video of which has gone viral online, led to the firing of Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin and three colleagues who stood by as he held Floyd to the ground for minutes on end.
In his late-afternoon statement on Twitter, Nisleit said his agency "expresses its sincere condolences" to Floyd's relatives and "will continue to work tirelessly to build trust, establish clear policies, ensure consistent training, and maintain open and honest dialogue with our communities."
