Experts say disturbing videos surrounding the recent deaths of two men will take a psychological toll on many in the black community.

The images of the moments leading up to the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have spread widely.

A psychology professor we spoke to says seeing those videos is comparable in a lot of ways to trauma.

“What concerns me most about it is people don't realize the impact of that and being exposed to it,” said Dr. Rheeda Walker, a professor of psychology at the University of Houston and the author of the recently released book,

“The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health.”

Echoing these concerns, Rwenshaun Miller says the distribution of these videos is piling on during an already stressful time. Miller is the founder of a nonprofit aimed at increasing awareness for black mental health, called

Eustress, Inc.

“Especially during the time of a pandemic, you would think that you know one of the main concerns would be us addressing the issues when it comes to the virus, but now we also still have to deal with the weight of being black in America,” said Miller.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness notes that African Americans are 10% more likely to be impacted by psychological stress. However, only about 30% of black Americans with a mental illness will get treatment each year.

Both Miller and Walker suggest writing as a form of coping. Miller says it's good to have someone you can trust to talk it out with. Walker even takes it a step further, saying you could join or contribute to advocacy groups to channel your emotions into positive efforts toward change. Both strongly suggest taking breaks from social media or the news.

“Watch what you consume. It's one thing for us to be aware of what's going on, but then it's another thing to be obsessed with it,” said Miller.

“We want to be informed, that's important. We want to know what's going on, but maybe take it in smaller doses or maybe turning things on later in the day rather than starting the day with this exposure,” said Walker.

Walker says it's important to pay attention to your feelings. Don't just ignore them. And even if you're a bit overwhelmed, it's okay to step back.

During a speech in Cape Canaveral, Florida, President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing anti-police brutality protests throughout the country, saying that he would not allow "radical left criminals, thugs and others" to "set communities ablaze."

"We support the right of peaceful protesters, and we hear their pleas," Trump said. "But what we're seeing now in the streets of our cities has nothing to do with justice or peace."

Trump said that he "stands in opposition to anyone using (Floyd's death) as an opportunity to loot and rob"

Trump also called Floyd's death a "grave tragedy," and said that he spoke with Floyd's family earlier this week.

"(Floyd's death) should have never happened," Trump said.

Trump has previously asked the Department of Justice to investigate Floyd's death. but also made clear that he and his administration "support the overwhelming majority of police officers."

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted threatened to have the National Guard shoot at anyone looting at the site of protests across the country, adding that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." That particular phrase

has ties to Civil Rights opponents,

dating back to the 1960s. Twitter later hid Trump's tweet from his timeline, saying that the message

violated its terms of service by "glorifying violence."

A person who was participating in anti-police brutality protests in St. Louis was killed earlier Saturday morning when he was run over by a FedEx truck.

KSDK-TV

and

KMOV-TV

in St. Louis both confirm that the incident began when a two-trailer FedEx semi was re-routed off of a local highway when it was shut down by protesters.

After leaving the highway, another group of protesters forced the truck to crawl to a stop. KMOV reports that some rioters attempted to grab packages off the back of the truck.

At that point, two men climbed onto the passenger side of the truck. That's when police say the men flashed their guns to the driver.

The driver sounded his horn and tried to drive away. Police say the driver wasn't aware that there was a man between the trailers at the time he started driving. That man fell and became trapped under the truck.

Bystander video shows others screaming and yelling, trying to tell the driver he was dragging a man under his truck.

FedEx released a statement Saturday.

"Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this week," the company said. "We are deeply saddened to learn of a tragic situation involving a demonstrator in St. Louis and one of our vehicles. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the individual involved. There is no higher priority for FedEx than safety, and we are cooperating fully with the investigating authorities at this time."

Jury selection is underway in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with the death of George Floyd.

The process was supposed to begin Monday but was delayed as the state supreme court reviews the possibility of re-adding a third-degree murder charge.

Derek Chauvin currently faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with Floyd’s death. He previously also faced a third-degree murder charge, which was dropped by Judge Peter Cahill last fall.

However, an appellate court ruled the judge "erred" in that decision and could reinstate that third-degree charge. Cahill says he does not have the power to reinstate that charge and added Monday that "unless the Court of Appeals tells me otherwise, we're going to keep moving."

State prosecutors have asked the appellate court to stop the proceedings completely until the effort to add a third-degree murder charge is resolved.

Considering the trial represents such a high-profile case, it is expected to take a few weeks to seat a jury that's deemed impartial.

Below is video showing an exchange from Tuesday morning with a potential juror illustrating the difficulty of selecting a jury.

Opening statements in the trial aren’t expected to take place until March 29.

Floyd died on May 25 while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. Video taken by bystanders at the scene of Floyd’s arrest shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

The arrest video sparked months of nationwide protests against police brutality and the largest civil rights demonstrations since the 1960s.

On Thursday, officials in Minneapolis began the process of reopening the city block where George Floyd died in police custody last May to traffic.

While members of Minneapolis Public Works were able to remove barriers surrounding the square and clear out some of the artwork, protesters arrived in the area Thursday morning, impeding the process. As of 3 p.m. ET, traffic is not flowing through the intersection.

The intersection of 38th St. and Chicago Ave. in Minneapolis has been closed to traffic since last summer when Floyd was murdered in police custody by then-Officer Derek Chauvin.

Since the intersection's closure, the space has been reclaimed as a haven for mourners, protesters and artists who have flocked to the area bearing flowers, gifts and other offerings. It's become informally known in the area as "George Floyd Square."

According to WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, officials with Minneapolis Public Works arrived at 4:30 a.m. local time to begin clearing out the intersection. Officials noted that crews took "great care to preserve artwork and artifacts."

However, KARE-TV in Minneapolis reports that crews were forced to stop work just before 6 a.m. local time after a crowd of protesters gathered.

In a press conference on Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey confirmed that while the city still hopes to open the area to traffic, he said it will likely take "several days." He declined to give a specific timeline for the project.

"It will take several days; we recognize there is still pain," Frey said.

A spokesperson for the Agape Movement — an organization that works with the city to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement — said the group has been negotiating with the mayor's office and other city officials regarding George Floyd square.

"We wanted to make the statement that the community can open this up... the community should open this up," Floyd said. "They (the city) just wanted to add traffic so they can open up, and we can begin to move to a new normal, to build this community up the way it's supposed to be. Did we expect pushback? Yeah, we expected that."

KSTP-TV reports that several memorial items in the area, including a large sculpture of a fist, will remain in place.

TAYLOR, Mich. — An auxiliary police officer has been removed from the Taylor Police Department after posting an explicit status on Facebook following the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

Kevin Leblanc served as an auxiliary officer — an unpaid volunteer — for 10 years in the Taylor Police Department. However, the city’s police chief confirmed that he’s been removed from the force for posting an explicit status after Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of George Floyd.

Shortly after the verdict was handed down on Tuesday, Leblanc posted the words “B*** S***” to Facebook. In the comments, Leblanc wrote “F*** Floyd Appeal appeal not a fair trial.”

Taylor Police Chief John Blair confirmed that the department was notified about the Facebook post in an email from a concerned party.

“We took immediate action. It’s not appropriate,” Blair said. “A man lost his life. I neither know a police officer in public or private that supports what the former officer did to Mr. Floyd.”

Auxiliary officers in Taylor are unpaid and have no police powers. However, they represent the force during special events and are allowed to carry guns on the job.

A photo emailed to Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit shows Leblanc in uniform working an event in 2012 featuring former Detroit Pistons basketball star Isiah Thomas and along with two other police officers.

When asked if he though Leblanc’s comments were racist, Blair said he didn’t know Leblanc and did not wish to “label somebody a racist without truly knowing them.”

“I think it’s very insensitive. I think it’s very inappropriate and very unprofessional,” Blair said. “It’s not the image the city of Taylor nor the Taylor Police Department wants to convey.”

Leblanc declined an interview request and has since deleted his Facebook posts about Floyd.

This story was originally published by Jim Kiertzner on Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit.

MINNEAPOLIS —

A family-friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held Tuesday to honor George Floyd and mark the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police, a death captured on wrenching bystander video that galvanized the racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change.

Floyd’s sister Bridgett and other family members held a moment of silence at a "Celebration of Life" event at a downtown Minneapolis park that included music, food trucks, an inflatable bouncy house and a vaccination stand. A few miles away, at the site of the intersection where Floyd died, dozens of people kneeled around a steel fist sculpture for several minutes — symbolizing the 9 minutes, 29 seconds during which Floyd was pinned down.

"It’s been a troubling year, a long year," Bridgett Floyd told the crowd downtown. "But we made it. ... The love is here. George is here."

Other members of Floyd’s family met in Washington with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who urged Congress to quickly pass a law in Floyd’s name that would bring changes to policing. A moment of silence to honor Floyd was also held in New York and a rally was held in Los Angeles. Globally, a rally took place in Germany and Floyd's death was marked by U.S. embassies in Greece and Spain.

Hours before the Minneapolis festivities, the intersection where Floyd died was disrupted by gunfire.

Associated Press video from 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — informally known as George Floyd Square — showed people running for cover as shots rang out. Police said a man, who they believe was injured in the shooting, went to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said he was in critical condition but was expected to survive. There were no immediate arrests.

Philip Crowther, a reporter working for AP Global Media Services, which provides live video coverage, reported hearing as many as 30 gunshots about a block from the intersection. Crowther said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by gunshots.

"Very quickly things got back to normal," Crowther said. "People here who spend a significant amount of time, the organizers, were running around asking, ‘Does anyone need a medic?’"

Like other major cities, Minneapolis has been struggling with rising gun violence, a problem made worse, in part, by many officers leaving the embattled force since Floyd's death. A 6-year-old girl was fatally shot and two other children wounded in recent weeks. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey last week unveiled sweeping public safety proposals aimed at fixing the problem. Other groups are pursuing a more radical remaking of the police department.

The intersection of 38th and Chicago has been barricaded since soon after Floyd's death. It quickly turned into a memorial — and also a challenging spot for the city, with police officers not always welcome.

The square was transformed Tuesday into an outdoor festival, with food, children’s activities and music. At times, people danced in the street. Artwork and signs from protests after Floyd's death also were on display. One group hosted an open mic next to a greenhouse that community members constructed earlier this year to house flowers left by mourners. Nearby, a brass band played for passersby.

The celebration also includes a candlelight vigil and caps several days of marches, rallies and panel discussions about his death and confronting racial discrimination.

Xavier Simmons, 24, from Racine, Wisconsin, chanted "Say his name!" as people kneeled. Simmons said he hopes people taking part in the festivities will both honor Floyd’s life and legacy and continue to "uplift and empower this movement."

"We got the verdict that we needed, but it’s never going to change until we make a change,” he said.

Floyd, 46, who was Black, died May 25, 2020, after then-Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, pinning him to the ground for about 9 1/2 minutes. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted last month of murder and faces sentencing June 25. Three other fired officers still face trial.

Earl Vaughn, 20, of Minneapolis, attended the downtown event and said despite its celebratory atmosphere: "For all this a Black man had to die, so that’s really unfortunate."

In New York City, elected officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, joined the Rev. Al Sharpton in kneeling for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. "As we took a knee, imagine how long that was on a human being’s neck," Sharpton said. "Never switched knees, just dug in. It’s time we correct policing in this country."

On Tuesday evening, activists and demonstrators gathered with some families of people who had died in interactions with the New York Police Department at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They called for defunding the police, holding officers accountable and removing police officers from schools. Following the rally, they set off on a march through Brooklyn streets.

Several Floyd family members, including his young daughter Gianna, met with Biden and Harris earlier Tuesday. Biden, who previously pledged to continue fighting for racial justice, said he hopes the Senate can quickly pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and get it to his desk.

"We have to act," he said of the legislation that would ban chokeholds and no-knock police raids and create a national registry for officers disciplined for serious misconduct.

Floyd’s brother Philonise told CNN he thinks about George "all the time."

"My sister called me at 12 o’clock last night and said 'This is the day our brother left us,'" he said, adding: "I think things have changed. I think it is moving slowly but we are making progress."

Also Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Kristen Clarke as assistant attorney general for civil rights, the first Black woman to hold the position. In the last few weeks, the Justice Department under Biden has announced sweeping investigations into the police in Minneapolis and Louisville and brought federal civil rights charges against the officers involved in Floyd’s death.

Separately, the Floyd family announced the launch of a fund that will make grants to businesses and community organizations in the neighborhood, as well as broader grants "encouraging the success and growth of Black citizens and community harmony." The money comes from $500,000 earmarked as part of the city's $27 million civil settlement for the Floyd family.

___

Associated Press writer Amy Forliti and Deepti Hajela in New York City contributed to this report.