The University of Minnesota, whose main campus is in Minneapolis, says it will scale back the relationship it has with Minneapolis police following the death of a 46-year-old black man while in police custody.
CNN reports that the university will "no longer contract with the Minneapolis Police Department for additional law enforcement support" and it will not use the police department for specialized services needed for university events such as football games.
George Floyd, 46, died Monday night after being restrained by police officers. A bystander’s video of the incident showed Floyd pleading that he could not breathe as a white officer knelt on his neck and kept his knee there for several minutes after the man stopped moving.
After the video surfaced, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck and three others were fired by the city.
Joan Gable, president of the university system, said in a message to students and faculty: "I do not have the words to fully express my pain and anger, and I know that many in our community share those feelings, but also fear for their own safety.
"We will limit our collaboration with the [Minneapolis Police] to joint patrols and investigations that directly enhance the safety of our community or that allow us to investigate and apprehend those who put our students, faculty, and staff at risk," Gabel says.
Gable's announcement comes a day after undergraduate student body president Jael Kerandi publicly demanded that the university cease all partnerships with Minneapolis police, Minnesota Daily reports.
Many in Minneapolis and across the nation reacted with anger when video of Floyd's last moments alive began circulating on social media.
