US Ambassador to Ghana outraged at George Floyd's murder

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, has expressed outrage at the killing of George Floyd, an African American in Minneapolis.

Floyd, 46, was stopped by police investigating the purchase of cigarettes with counterfeit money on May 25 in Minneapolis.

A viral video showed Floyd being arrested and a white police officer continuing to kneel on his neck for several minutes even after he pleaded that he could not breathe.

Protests erupted and have continued since, across many US cities and also internationally, with rallies on Wednesday in Australia, France, the Netherlands and in the UK, where thousands gathered in central London.

In a statement, Ambassador Sullivan said America can do better to address the underlying conditions and existing systems that perpetuate racial injustice.

A Message from U.S. Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan on the Death of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/zvhBLVEjz8

— US Embassy Ghana (@USEmbassyGhana) June 3, 2020

New charges

All of the sacked police officers present at the death of Floyd are now facing new charges.

The charge against Derek Chauvin, who was seen in the video kneeling on Floyd has been elevated to second-degree murder. The other three officers, previously uncharged, face counts of aiding and abetting murder.

Read the entire statement below;

A Message from U.S. Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan on the Death of George Floyd

The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, has filled with grief the hearts of Americans, Ghanaians, and people around the world. We join in expressing our outrage as well as our condolences to Mr. Floyd's family and friends. One former police officer has been charged with second degree murder, three former police officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and the cases are under investigation by state and federal authorities.

No one is above the law. We have seen the difficult images across our country triggered by the horrifying events in Minnesota.

This incident is prompting important and necessary conversations in the United States, and serves as a reminder of the importance of confronting painful truths head on, and of addressing the underlying conditions and existing systems that perpetuate racial injustice as we, as Americans, strive to form a more perfect union. We can do better in living up to the ideals of our national motto, inscribed on the Great Seal of the United States, E pluribus unum, Out of many, one.