The UK police on Monday claimed to have arrested the three teenagers who allegedly mocked the murder of US citizen George Floyd in a Snapchat video on suspicion of committing a hate crime.
As the teenager shared a post imitating the death of George Floyd on social media, it drew widespread criticism and sparked outrage.
Northumbria Police did not confirm this, though a spokesperson did reveal that the trio had been arrested, with the Snapchat video now being treated as a hate crime, Mail Online reported.
The police said, ‘We can confirm we are investigating after an image was shared on social media which showed two men imitating the recent death of US citizen George Floyd.”
‘An investigation was launched and yesterday (Sunday) officers arrested two males aged 19 and another male aged 18 on suspicion of sending communications causing anxiety and distress.’
‘They have since been released on bail. We understand that this social media post has caused significant upset and we want to reassure the public it is being investigated robustly and is being treated as a hate crime.’
The video was shared on a Warwick University freshers Facebook page – where it quickly drew widespread criticism.
Rumours circulated that the trio were due to go to the university in September – but a source who went to school with all three dismissed this.
The source added today: ‘It’s all blown up in their faces and they’ve received death threats. ‘They were arrested on Sunday night and have had their phones taken off them and everything.
In his response to the post, a 16-year-old student said,”Everyone is rightly enraged by this. I think these guys should be known and their employers should be known and take whatever action they see fit.
“It is a criminal offence in my view because they are making a mockery of a guy losing his life. These guys will get a second chance but George Floyd won’t.”
A woman who went to school with the trio said they have outraged their local community in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
A spokesman for the University of Warwick said, ‘None of the individuals involved with an offensive photograph circulated yesterday are connected to the University, as was falsely alleged, nor would they be welcomed.”
‘Such behaviour goes against the University’s principles, which emphasise treating others with respect.’
