Fox News host Sean Hannity condemned the cops involved in George Floyd’s death Thursday evening, calling the actions “excessive and extreme” and noted that it gives all cops a bad name.
Floyd died Monday at a hospital after police pinned him to the ground during an arrest for alleged forgery, with one stepping on his neck. Video footage showed Floyd crying out that he could not breathe as the officer continued to step on his neck.
The footage pushed back on the narrative that Floyd supposedly became violent, a note that Hannity pointed out Thursday. Hannity added that actions like this against Floyd give the many good cops a bad reputation and said virtually everyone agreed that the actions in this incident were cause for outrage.
“I believe the 99% [of cops] do their job with the utmost professionalism,” Hannity said. “But these types of abuses, 1% need to be called out when we see them. And it has caused outrage among everybody almost unanimously around the country. They give every cop, sadly, a bad name. The 99% don’t deserve this, either. That’s a precious life with that knee on the neck, and it didn’t have to be this way.”
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The Fox News host added that “once you have someone in handcuffs not resisting, that fight is over” and exploded on the cop for “sitting on his neck for 8 minutes” despite Floyd not resisting.
“Every law enforcement official I know says the same thing – this is excessive and extremely dangerous use of force and none of it was necessary,” Hannity said, noting that he believes the “peaceful protests” that have followed Floyd’s death are “justifiable and understandable.”
While Hannity agreed with the protests and was vehemently against the cops’ actions regarding Floyd, he criticized the looters who destroyed the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota Wednesday evening in the wake of Floyd’s death. (RELATED: Minneapolis Burns As Looters Take To The Streets Following Protests Over Death Of George Floyd)
“The protests, the riots, the destruction of property that we were witnessing last night and we are seeing some more of tonight, as you look at live pictures, is not the answer,” Hannity said. “This is not a way to honor George Floyd’s life. And this incident is sadly being used by some to engage in abhorrent criminal behavior that is putting the entire city and neighborhood at risk.”
The “Hannity” host said reports indicate Floyd “was trying to move forward with his life” and that the looters’ actions “don’t honor his life.”
“Burning down stores, looting, rioting, puts everybody in the community, citizens, children, innocent cops, in harm’s way,” Hannity said. “It is destroying the lives of many working people and business owners who have already been struggling enough. We don’t need more hate and hysteria amid this time of turmoil.”
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