Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who used his knee to pin an unarmed black man on the ground for several minutes has been charged with 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter.

Chauvin was arrested earlier on Friday and taken int custody by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to John Harrington, the city's Public Safety Commissioner.

The former police officer was filmed pining George Floyd on the ground using his knee until he went silent. Other officers also used their weights on other parts of his body to keep him still.

Floyd's death has received wide condemnation across the U.S. and the rest of the world, with ever-growing calls for police accountability.

The agonizing death of the 46-year-old man has since gone viral on social media, sparking protests across Minneapolis as thousands took to the streets to demand justice.

The protests have escalated into violence, with various businesses looted and sections of a police precinct set on fire.

Source(s): NBC