The Minneapolis officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died in custody after pleading that he could not breathe, was arrested Friday.

Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said state investigators arrested Derek Chauvin.

The arrest comes after three days of protests, which escalated in violence as demonstrators torched a police precinct that had been abandoned by officers.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called for swift justice for those involved in Floyd's death.

The investigation into the other three officers involved in the incident is “ongoing,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says. “We felt it appropriate to focus on the most dangerous perpetrator."

Attorney General William P. Barr has issued the following statement:

“The video images of the incident that ended with death of Mr. Floyd, while in custody of Minneapolis police officers, were harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing. The state prosecutor has been in the process of determining whether any criminal charges are appropriate under state law. On a separate and parallel track, the Department of Justice, including the FBI, are conducting an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights laws were violated. Both state and federal officers are working diligently and collaboratively to ensure that any available evidence relevant to these decisions is obtained as quickly as possible. Under our system, charging decisions must be, and will be, based on the law and facts. This process is proceeding quickly. As is the typical practice, the state’s charging decisions will be made first. I am confident justice will be served.”

Thursday marked a third night of violent protests following the death of George Floyd, who died in a confrontation with officers outside a grocery store.

Fires burned Friday morning in Minneapolis and nearby St. Paul.

National Guard members were being stationed in locations to help stem looting.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's defended the city's mostly hands-off approach with protesters.

He said it was his decision to evacuate the police precinct because officers were at risk.

On Friday, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) said that he expects "swift" justice will be carried out against the four police officers involved in Monday's videotaped incident.

"It is my expectation that justice for the officers involved in this will be swift, that it will come in a timely manner, that it will be fair. That is what we've asked for. I have been in contact with Hennepin County attorney, and I am confident that those very things I just said will happen," Walz said.

 

Protests have spread to other cities across the United States.

In New York City, protesters defied the coronavirus prohibition on public gatherings Thursday, clashing with police, while demonstrators blocked traffic in downtown Denver and downtown Columbus.

A day earlier, demonstrators had taken to the streets in Los Angeles and Memphis.

A Black Lives Matter protest is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. near 10 North Virginia Street in Reno.

Meanwhile, a Mississippi mayor whose remarks about Floyd's death sparked outrage is resisting calls to resign, including from his own town’s board of aldermen.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)