Photos surfaced on social media show part of the wall being destroyed, with fragments of the mural still remaining on the wall, along the borders. 

The George Floyd Memorial mural at Summit and Lagrange in Toledo has come down. No word yet on the circumstances #13abc pic.twitter.com/SkB2eDhijB

— Shaun Hegarty (@Shaun_Hegarty) July 13, 2021

The mural, created by local artist David Rose was named “Take a Breath” honor George Floyd who was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. According to Fox News, Ross had received threats over the creation of the mural and he speculated that it could have been vandalized instead of being destroyed by lightning.

“When I did the mural, there was stuff on the wall that I couldn’t remove and that let me know how strong that structure was,” Ross told the Toledo Blade. “The lightning thing, that’s possible, but I know it didn’t just fall.” 

According to 13abc Action News, the City of Toledo has already released a statement on the mural, saying they will work with the arts commission on planning for a new mural, or help the commission and the artist find a new location. 

The mural was a gathering point for many protestors and memorial services have been held in front of the mural. 

Bender’s book, “Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost”,  serves as a compilation of interviews conducted with numerous former Trump staffers and allies, and also features two interviews with the former President Trump too.

Michael Bender within his book has depicted the inner functioning of a White House and a presidential campaign in mayhem, detailing the fights amongst Trump’s subordinates in an attempt to gain influence and their struggles to obey presidential orders that contradicted the norms set by the constitutional and fundamentals of democracy itself.

The book has a recollection of how Trump called for whoever “leaked” information on him staying within a burner during the peak of racial justice protests in 2020 to be “executed’ for their actions.

Trump’s response to the Floyd video was innate, describing the event as “terrible”. Later, he tweeted his support for the Floyd family, assuring them that “justice will be served”. However, after the onset of the protests calling for racial justice, the former President’s tone quickly changed.

Bender’s book portrays the frenzy that ensued within the Trump administration, stating the concerns shown by many of Trump’s aides over his perfunctory desire to deploy the military against the peaceful protesters and rioters alike.

“The country had turned into a tinderbox. And inside the Oval Office was a president who liked playing with matches,” Bender writes, describing aides he spoke with as horrified by the president’s behavior.

Floyd died last year after Chauvin pressed on his neck after pinning him down for more than nine minutes on the pavement outside a convenience store in Minneapolis.

Three other former officers who were present on the scene that day, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, were charged federally in relation to Floyd’s killing.

Kueng and Thao, two of the men, are accused of failing to interfere to stop Chauvin while he carried on the gruesome act. All the three former officers are charged of failing to give medical care with ‘deliberate indifference’ to Floyd’s suffering. All the three of them are now preparing for a state trial scheduled in August.

Chauvin, the main accused in the Floyd killing, is also charged of a separate federal allegation related to a 2017 incident, in which he allegedly used a neck control ‘without legal justification’ on a 14-year-old and hit the teenager in the head with a flashlight.

To construct the case, Federal civil rights prosecutors from Washington have worked joining hands with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.

I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it. Thank you @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi   #sayhername #Blacklivesmatter

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 3, 2021

He had then re-tweeted with corrections that he is more concerned about the system and not just one police officer.

I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This isn’t about one officer.  it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021

Ma’Khia Bryant is seen holding a knife and making her move at another girl in the scene in the footages from the police bodycam. Four shots were made at her when she was spotted to move towards another girl, trying to kill her. But the footage clearly shows no attempt made by the officer to calm down the situation. Within seconds of her death people had taken to streets for protest.

This verdict brings us a step closer to equal justice. The fact is, we still have work to do. We must reform the system. https://t.co/CzuEW9mbM4

— Vice President Kamala Harris Archived (@VP46Archive) April 21, 2021

Biden termed the conviction of former police officer, Derek Chauvin, as “a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.

Harris, the first black woman to serve as VP, said that racism was not allowing the country to fulfill its founding promise of “liberty and justice for all”.

“It is not just a black American problem or people of color problem, it is a problem for every American,” she further added. “it is holding our nation back from attending full potential.”

Both Biden and Harris called on the U.S. Congress to act promptly with needed policing reforms and also approving a bill named after Floyd, who died under the knee of Chauvin.

In his tweet, he expressed his sympathy towards the family and acknowledge that the verdict could not bring him back, he further added by saying that the family’s pain would allow his legacy to be more than just about his death and would honour his memory.

Biden has been in contact with the family, giving them support and praying for them in these times of need.

The guilty verdict does not bring back George Floyd. But through the family’s pain, they are finding purpose so George’s legacy will not be just about his death, but about what we must do in his memory. pic.twitter.com/swjH0yprjN

— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) April 21, 2021

The jury also convicted Chauvin, 45, of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Under Minnesota law, he faces up to four decades in prison, although he may get less time under state sentencing guidelines. Chauvin will face sentencing in eight weeks.

President Joe Biden has said the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd can be a giant step forward for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. Biden spoke from the White House hours after the verdict alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, with the pair calling for Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform.

“It’s not enough,” Biden said of the verdict. “We can’t stop here.”

Biden spoke after telephoning Floyd’s family, telling them, “We’re all so relieved.” Before Tuesday’s guilty verdicts were read out, Biden said he was praying for “the right verdict” in the trial of Chauvin. Telephoning Floyd’s family later, he said of himself and Harris: “We’re all so relieved.”

Today, a jury in Minnesota found former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd.

The verdict is a step forward.

And while nothing can ever bring George Floyd back, this can be a giant step forward on the march towards justice in America.

— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) April 20, 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that he “was appalled by the death of George Floyd and welcome this verdict,” while the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, simply wrote “justice.”

I was appalled by the death of George Floyd and welcome this verdict.

My thoughts tonight are with George Floyd’s family and friends.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 20, 2021

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the verdict but said it “underlines that there’s an awful lot of work to do.”

As former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday afternoon of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, people waiting outside the courthouse and city erupted in emotion.

People elated by the verdict flooded the surrounding streets downtown upon hearing the news. Car horns blared, and people ran through traffic, waving banners.

Black Americans from Missouri to Florida to Minnesota cheered, marched, hugged, waved signs and sang jubilantly in the streets. But they also tempered those celebrations with the heavy knowledge that Chauvin’s conviction was just a first, tiny step on the long road to addressing centuries of racist policing in a nation founded on slavery.

Biden said he’s praying the verdict the jury returns is “the right verdict.” “The evidence is overwhelming in my view,” he said.

In a conversation with NBC’s Today show, Floyd’s young brother, Philonise Floyd, said he talked to the president.

“He was just calling,” said the younger Floyd, “He knows what it’s like to lose a family member, and he knows the process of what we’re going through. So he was just letting us know that he was praying for us and hoping that everything will come out to be OK.”

Biden said he waited until the jury in Chauvin’s trial was sequestered before he made the call. “I’ve come to know George’s family,” the president told reporters. “They’re a good family,” he said. “And they’re calling for peace and tranquillity.”

Chauvin, a 45-year-old former Minneapolis officer, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death while in police custody on May 25, 2020. Chauvin’s body-cam footage shows him pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe.

The former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded not guilty to the charges after kneeling on the neck of a dying Floyd during an arrest last May.

The 12 sequestered jurors are considering three weeks of testimony and hours of video evidence in the most high-profile U.S. case involving accusations of police misconduct in decades.

The jury began its deliberations on Monday after listening to closing arguments for most of the day. The jurors will consider testimonies from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts as well as video evidence to reach a verdict. Jurors must reach a unanimous verdict on each charge to convict or acquit. A single hold-out would result in a mistrial, although the state could then try Chauvin again.

The case hinges on whether the jury believes the prosecution’s argument that Chauvin’s use of excessive, and therefore illegal, force killed Floyd.

According to court records, the jury is comprised of four white women, two white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women. The court will shield their identities until some time after they give their verdict. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill presided over the trial.

Nelson said that out of many police officers who testified about their opinion on Chauvin’s use of force against Floyd, he has found Minneapolis Police Lt. Johnny Mercil’s testimony the most “relevant” and “interesting”.

Talking about Mercil, Nelson said, “The best glimpse that we will get into the training of a Minneapolis Police Department officer comes from the trainer who conducts the training.”

Mercil had testified that a knee on the neck “can be utilized in certain circumstances”, as per Nelson.

Nelson continued, “He described using the knee on the neck and back and stated that it can be there fit an extended period of time, depending on the level of his resistance you get, once the suspect is handcuffed, it does not necessarily mean that its’ time to move your leg, because when people are handcuffed they can continue to be dangerous to themselves and others.”

During his trial testimony: Nelson had asked him during cross-examination that if Chauvin’s technique could be a part of another training, Mercil replied, “perhaps”, added that it might be considered “using bodyweight to control”.

Continuing: “However, I will add that we don’t – we tell officers to stay away from the neck when possible and if you are going to use the bodyweight to pin, to put it on their shoulder and be mindful of position.”

In a blog post by Monika Bickert, vice president of content policy had said that Facebook is also scrubbing away the post which disrupts peaceful protest and can cause civil unrest or violence, including the calls to bring arms to Minneapolis, which as per Facebook is a “high-risk” location.

Closing arguments in the trial of Chauvin began Monday. The case then goes to the jury and the verdict could come out as early as this week.

“We know that this trial has been painful for many people. We want to strike the right balance between allowing people to speak about the trial and what the verdict means, while still our part of protecting everyone’s safety,” Bickert wrote.

As per Facebook, Chauvin is considered as a public figure who “voluntarily placing himself in the public eye”. However, George Floyd is considered as an “involuntarily public figure”, as he is a Black Man, 46, who died under the knee of Chauvin, a white police officer, meaning Facebook will severe attacks as Floyd has a higher level of protection to content about his death.

An investigation by the human rights group, Avaaz, found that fabricated content targeting the victims of police brutality had remained on Facebook.

“As we have done in emergency situations in the past, we may also limit the spread of content that our systems predict is likely to violate our Community Standards in the areas of hate speech, graphic violence and violence, and incitement.,” Bickert said on Monday. “We will remove pages, groups, Events and Instagram account that violate our violence and incitement policy and we will remove events organized in temporary, high-risk location that contain calls to arms.”

A former police officer and a retired Hennepin County paramedic were the first two witnesses for the defence Tuesday morning, who spoke about Floyd’s drug-related arrest in 2019 in Minneapolis.

The defence argues that Floyd’s hypertensive heart disease and ingestion of meth and fentanyl, together with the struggle with police, led him to suffer from heart strain and ultimately die.

Michelle Moseng, a retired Hennepin County Medical Center paramedic, testified that she talked to Floyd after he was taken into custody in a 2019 drug-related arrest. Moseng said of the 2019 arrest that it was quite hard to assess him as he was confused. 

Michelle Moseng said Floyd told her he’d taken multiple opioid-based pills every 20 minutes and then another pill as former police officer Scott Creighton and other officers arrested him. She added that Floyd told her he “was addicted.” 

Moseng testified that it took time to convince Floyd to go to the hospital.

The retired Minneapolis police officer Scott Creighton was the first witness for the defence on Tuesday who testified so the defence could show a prior police stop of a car in which Floyd was a passenger.

Defence attorney Eric Nelson played the video from Creighton’s body camera that revealed Floyd in 2019 is not listening to Creighton’s commands to show his hands and keep them on the dashboard. The video showed Floyd repeatedly asking police officers not to shoot or beat him up.

Responding to cross-examination questions by prosecutor Erin Eldridge, Creighton said Floyd seemed incoherent.

Where the trial stands: Over the period of 11 days, prosecutors called 38 witnesses to the stand and played dozens of witnesses, surveillance, and police body-cam videos to prove Floyd died due to Chauvin’s knee on his neck for more than 9 minutes. 

The prosecution was led by the Minnesota Attorney General’s office. The prosecution called stand eyewitnesses, Minneapolis police officers and paramedics, law enforcement experts, and a range of medical experts in a bid to prove Floyd’s death was a result of Chauvin pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. 

A key moment in the prosecution’s case came when Dr Martin Tobin, an expert on the physiology of breathing testified that Floyd had been slowly suffocated.  He said the way Floyd was suppressed, handcuffed behind his back, face-down on the ground, with a knee on his neck which prevented him from breathing properly.

Philonise Floyd, 39, told jurors stories about growing up with his “big brother.” Philonise Floyd said that Floyd was so much a leader to them in the household.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.

The former U.S President tweeted saying, “Our hearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a Black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police. It’s important to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but this is also a reminder of just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country.” 

Our hearts are heavy over yet another shooting of a Black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police. It’s important to conduct a full and transparent investigation, but this is also a reminder of just how badly we need to reimagine policing and public safety in this country. pic.twitter.com/sgcbRjlApr

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 13, 2021

Daunte White, a 20-year-old Black man was fatally shot by the Minneapolis police on Sunday, sparking subsequent ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests across the United States of America.

The incident took place amid the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin, who is charged with murder and manslaughter, in George Floyd’s death case.

Barack Obama also shared the link to obama.org for finding resources and ways to help.

You can find resources and ways to help here: https://t.co/2KcB4T3b0I

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 13, 2021

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled as attorneys argued whether the testimony of Seth Stoughton, a professor at the University of South Carolina Law School, should be allowed as he is acting as a use-of-force expert for the prosecution.

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher said that Steve would testify in front of the jury that he wasn’t able to recognize what Floyd said in the audio recorded, even after playing it multiple times. He also wanted to play the jury a slowed-down version with the subtitles to back up the professor’s testimony.

Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson objected to playing the slowed version as the prosecutor got this plan just last Friday, hence not giving him enough time to prepare a response.

Part of Nelson’s tactic to defend Chauvin against the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd has to plant a seed of reasonable doubt and deflect responsibility from him and dump it onto Floyd himself for using drugs. An autopsy has found fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system but the prosecution expert again on Monday testified that the drugs didn’t kill him.

During the testimony of Jody Stiger, a LA police dept. sergeant serving prosecution use-of-force expert, Nelson first played the short clip with a disputed quote where Floyd is seen on the ground moaning and yelling in distress, a video which came from body-cam of another police officer. “Does it sound like he says, ‘I ate too many drugs?” Nelson asked the court.

“I can’t make that out,” Stiger replied to which Nelson turned the same question to lead investigator from Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Senior Special Agent James Reyerson.

When the agent agreed with Nelson to what appeared Floyd was saying, Matthew Frank, wasn’t going to sit back. He got Reyerson to admit that he hadn’t listened to that audio closely before.

After a break to regroup, Frank played a longer version of the same clip and questioned the agent if now he can make out what Floyd said, having heard in context. “I believed that Mr. George Floyd said “I ain’t do no drugs,” Reyerson replied.

Cahill said that he was surprised to see no objection from the prosecutors when the clip was brought up last week. And as of the dispute over Floyd’s quote he agreed with Nelson that the jury must decide, if they think it’s important.

A pivotal moment in the Derek Chauvin trial. Dr. Tobin says that George Floyd’s pre-existing health conditions had nothing whatsoever to do with his death. pic.twitter.com/LHRMDQYR14

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 8, 2021

“This is a death where both heart and lungs stop working. The point being it is due to law enforcement subdual, restraint, and compression,” testified  Dr. Lindsey Thomas on Friday.

Thomas trained Hennepin County’s current chief medical examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, who ruled Floyd’s death as a homicide last year. In his autopsy report, Baker said Floyd’s heart and lungs stopped amid “law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression,” but the word “asphyxia” was not used.

Baker’s testimony will be key to prosecutors, who say Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes killed him. He was expected to take the witness stand Friday. The defence argues Floyd died due to drugs in his system and underlying medical issues.

Thomas said that in this case, she believes the primary mechanism of death is asphyxia or low oxygen and is not sudden cardiac death, agreeing with Baker’s autopsy.

Thomas said Floyd’s autopsy helped for ruling things out. She said that the autopsy had no evidence saying Floyd had sufficient lung disease to impair his breathing.  She said that the slow nature of Floyd’s death indicates he did not die of a methamphetamine or fentanyl overdose. He didn’t face a heart attack or a stroke, she added.

Thomas said that Mr. Floyd was in a position where he was unable to get enough oxygen.

Her testimony verified previous testimony by Dr. Martin Tobin and Dr. Bill Smock, other expert witnesses called by the prosecution. 

Thomas said that the long struggle with police produced chemical reactions in Floyd’s body that caused physiological stress which continued for nine minutes, with no recovery.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death.