Florida Police Investigating Officer Who Put Knee on Man's Neck

The past week has seen people all over the country protest against police violence after video was released showing George Floyd death as the result of Minneapolis Police officers placing their knee on his neck, suffocating him. Now, an officer in Sarasota, Fl. are under investigation for using a similar tactic.

Bay News 9 reports that a Sarasota police officer has been placed on leave after video emerged of him placing his knee on the neck of a man. This is not a technique utilized or taught by the Sarasota Police Department. Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino has launched an formal investigation into the incident. Luckily, the man in the video was not seriously injured or in need of medical assistance. The identities of both the officer and the victim are currently unknown.

Sarasota has been one of the many places across the country that has seen protests related to the killing of George Floyd. The city has its own history of police violence with the deaths of Rodney Mitchell, Corey Mobley and Justin Stackhouse at the hands of Sarasota and Bradenton police officers. According to the Herald-Tribune, over 200 people marched to the headquarters of the Sarasota Police Department on Tuesday in honor of all four men. There were concerns that rain would depress turnout for a Wednesday march towards the headquarters but as the day progressed turnout remained strong.