Minnesota Vikings 'Deeply Saddened' by George Floyd's Death

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The Minnesota Vikings released a statement in response to the death of George Floyd, who died on Monday after a Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the ground while placing the 46-year-old under arrest:

Floyd, who died at a local hospital, was arrested near the intersection of 38th St. and Chicago Ave., which is located about three miles from U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Vikings. 

As Ray Sanchez, Joe Sutton and Artemis Moshtaghian of CNN reported, video of Floyd's arrest showed a white police officer kneeling on a handcuffed black man later revealed to be Floyd, who said he couldn't breathe and that his entire body hurt.

Other members from the Minneapolis community spoke out, including Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders, who posted the following on Instagram:

"Let's look within ourselves to confront explicit or implicit biases," Saunders wrote, in part. "We can no longer look at the news and move on. We must change how we view this horrific death, change the way we interact with people and change the way we let comments slide. Enough is enough. Silence and complacency only add fuel to the fire. We must be better. George Floyd deserved better. #justiceforgeorgefloyd #speakup."

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel also released a statement on Wednesday and said that the Minneapolis Police Department will no longer be asked to help provide "additional support" for large events, such as football games and concerts:

Other athletes and coaches have also supported Floyd, including Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward LeBron James and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.