The city roils after the death of George Floyd as police confronted protesters and the mayor urged prosecutors to charge the officers involved.
Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.
Taya Graham: There’s anger in the streets of Minneapolis.
Speaker 2: I’m out here because the cop that killed Floyd was the same one he was involved with a police shooting at Little Earth, maybe a couple of years ago. And they’ve been criminalizing our youth for a long time. And that’s why we’re here.
Taya Graham: After the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, there was an outpouring of frustration and grief from the community. And anger over this video, showing Floyd, who was African American, begging for his life as Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin puts down forward pressure with his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Floyd was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, but the reaction to his death was swift and emotional. Wednesday night protests turned violent as police shot, rubber bullets and tear gas. An AutoZone store was engulfed in flames while a Target was picked clean. Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey pleaded for calm, but he also called for the arrest of Officer Chauvin.
Jacob Frey: Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail? If you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now.
Taya Graham: Mayor Frey also asked the governor of Minnesota to deploy the National Guard, to quell the unrest in the community. Minneapolis police have said little about what led to Floyd’s arrest. Instead, they posted a statement shortly after Floyd died, citing a forgery in progress.
But meanwhile, questions about Chauvin’s record have surfaced, including 10 past complaints of excessive force. The FBI and the Minnesota Attorney General’s office have joined the investigation, but pleas from officials and calls for charges against the officers have done little to calm the city, as tensions rise over the death of yet another black man at the hands of police. This is Taya Graham, Stephen Janis, and Taylor Hebden reporting for The Real News Network.
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Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent
Taya Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Capitol Hill Correspondent whose work bridges rigorous reporting with deep community impact. As the host of The Police Accountability Report at The Real News Network, she has become a trusted voice for transparency in policing and governance, using a mix of field reporting, data analysis, and citizen storytelling to expose systemic injustices. The show has garnered more than 50 million views across platforms, drawing a national audience to issues of accountability and reform.
Her work spans platforms and audiences, from producing Truth and Reconciliation, the acclaimed WYPR podcast exploring race and justice, to co-directing the award-winning documentaries The Friendliest Town and Tax Broke. Her five-year investigation into Baltimore’s tax incentive system (TIFs and PILOTs) revealed how corporate subsidies perpetuate inequality, sparking legislative action and community advocacy.
In addition to her reporting, Taya played a key role in shaping The Real News Network’s internal policies and labor framework, including helping draft the language around the organization’s AI policy in its collective bargaining agreement. Her work ensured that innovation and worker protections coexist, setting a model for how newsrooms can adopt technology responsibly.
Taya’s career began at The Afro-American Newspaper and Historic Black University Morgan State Radio, where she honed her craft in public service storytelling. She continues to lead with the belief that journalism should not only inform but empower—meeting new audiences where they are and inspiring them to engage in the democratic process.
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Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent
Stephen Janis is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker whose work has shaped accountability journalism in Baltimore and beyond. As a Capitol Hill Correspondent and senior reporter at The Real News Network, he continues to uncover the systems behind inequality, corruption, and power while turning complex investigations into stories that inspire reform and public engagement.
His first feature documentary, The Friendliest Town, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and received an Award of Distinction from The Impact Doc Film Festival and a Humanitarian Award from The Indie Film Fest. He co-created and co-hosts The Police Accountability Report, which has reached more than fifty million viewers on YouTube and helped spark national conversations on policing and transparency. His work has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix), Dead of Night (Investigation Discovery), Relentless (NBC), and Sins of the City (TV One).
Stephen has co-authored several books on policing, corruption, and the roots of violence, including Why Do We Kill: The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore and You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond. He also co-hosts the true crime podcast Land of the Unsolved, which investigates cold cases through a lens of justice and accountability.
Before joining The Real News Network, Stephen worked as an investigative producer for WBFF Fox 45, where his reporting earned three Capital Emmys. Known for embracing technology as a tool for social awareness, he uses data analysis, digital production, and emerging storytelling platforms to connect investigative journalism with younger audiences while maintaining its integrity and depth.
Stephen’s work is grounded in clarity, empathy, and a belief that journalism should not only expose the truth but empower people to act on it.
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