George Floyd worked at the same local nightclub as the Minneapolis police officer who was shown on video kneeling on Floyd's neck as he said, "I can't breathe."

Floyd, who died in police custody after his arrest on Monday, would occasionally provide security inside El Nuevo Rodeo club, according to former owner Maya Santamaria, who has since sold the club.

Floyd was a sweet man with a big smile, she recalled.

"He would say, 'Hi boss lady. How you doing tonight?' Real sweet guy, lots of charisma," she said. "He was very beloved in the Latino community and certainly in his community as well."

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Most of the nation's police departments have long cautioned their officers against putting pressure on the back or neck of someone lying face down during an arrest, as Minneapolis officers did to George Floyd.

There's widespread agreement in law enforcement that putting a knee on someone's neck — the move fired police Officer Derek Chauvin used to restrain Floyd — is especially dangerous.

"There hasn't been one person, one police chief, anyone I've talked to, who doesn't see this exactly the same way. The police officer and those who were there that day failed George Floyd," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement-oriented think tank based in Washington. "Every police officer that looked at that video who knows anything about tactics shook their head."

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State charging documents allege that former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd became non-responsive based on law enforcement review of body-worn camera video.

In total, the complaint says Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and “police are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous.”

The medical examiner found no findings that support diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation, the complaint says. Instead, it says that Floyd had coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease and “the combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.”

The complaint says that initially Floyd was not cooperative with getting into the police vehicle and intentionally sat on ground.

"The arrest of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the brutal killing of George Floyd is a welcome but overdue step on the road to justice. We expected a first-degree murder charge. We want a first-degree murder charge. And we want to see the other officers arrested," George Floyd's relatives and attorney Ben Crump said in a statement. "We call on authorities to revise the charges to reflect the true culpability of this officer. The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto streets across America."

They added, "While this is a right and necessary step, we need the City of Minneapolis –- and cities across the country –- to fix the policies and training deficiencies that permitted this unlawful killing –- and so many others –- to occur."

Minnesota state law says that a person could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison if convicted of third-degree murder.

The crime is defined as a person not intending to cause the death of a person who does end up causing that death “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.”

In other words, he’s charged with causing Floyd’s death by perpetrating a dangerous act without regard to Floyd’s life –- even if he didn’t set out to do so.

Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd's death, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced.

The former Minneapolis police officer was taken into custody Friday.

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