Minneapolis Park Police Release Heavily Redacted Body Camera Footage In George Floyd Death

The Minneapolis Parks Police Department has released body camera footage showing part of George Floyd's arrest in the lead-up to his death in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Floyd, who was black, died on Monday after police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was filmed kneeling on his neck for minutes, despite the handcuffed man repeatedly warning he could not breathe.

The incident unfolded after Floyd was arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a store.

The Minneapolis Parks Police Department released the new footage as major protests continued to rock the city, with protesters demanding justice and an end to police brutality.

The video was released in an apparent effort to clear the department of being directly involved in the incident leading up to Floyd's death after bystander video showed one of the department's squad cars in the background.

Park Police Chief Jason Ohotto explained that an officer had responded to a request for assistance from MPD officers at around 8:10pm, according to Fox 9 News.

The officer's camera showed that the officer had been monitoring a vehicle believed to be related to the original call.

The video has been heavily redacted, with much of the audio and visuals cut out.

Ohotto estimated that the officer was approximately 118 feet away, however, when the incident leading up to Floyd's death unfolded. As a result, he said the officer had not been able to see the incident unfold.

"Based on a review of the body worn camera footage, which is being released to demonstrate the vantage point of the Park Police officer, the Park Police officer was not in a location to witness or intervene in the MPD incident," the Park Police Department said in a release, according to Fox 9 News.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has issued an apology to Floyd's family and the black community, saying on Tuesday that "being black in America should not be a death sentence."

"When you hear someone calling for help," Frey said, "you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense."

The four officers involved in Floyd's death were released by the MPD, which Frey said was the "right call."

However, he has joined calls for further action, including criminal charges against Chauvin.

The FBI and authorities in Minnesota have launched investigations into the incident.

Newsweek has contacted the Minneapolis Parks Police Department for further information.