with us tonight, giants first-year manager gabe kapler from his new home in san francisco. great to have you back on the program. i'm a huge baseball fan. not sure about all this. how are you feeling about returning? >> i can totally understand that. i understand the trepidation. i understand the concern. i personally share it and the giants organization does as well. at the same time, maintaining optimism that we're able to get to the ballpark in the next week or so, get together as a group and start this modified camp that our coaches and players are really, really excited about at this point. >> gabe, buster posey, hunter pence, pablo, what are their concerns and how are they voicing it to you? >> i think they share the concerns of the community and san francisco. i think there are concerns that aren't just covid-related as well. mainly, though, i think right now as it stands, guys are looking forward to getting back to the ballpark and playing. we will say this. we're going through a year -- through our safety protocols that major league baseball spent a lot of time put

gabe, thank you. george floyd grew up about ten miles north of where i am. he grew up in houston's third ward. friends say he really always wanted to do something to help change the world. we're going to go to that old neighborhood of his as people there pay tribute to one of their own. >>> plus, the hope the local chapter of black lives matter has that they'll see lasting change come from the worldwide protests we've been seeing. that and more live from houston in a moment, as family and friends start to gather to say their last goodbye to george floyd. >> we need to keep pushing and keep pushing and keep pushing. it starts with us. >> it's hard to see this incident happened to him. i think it's for a better purpose because he's spreading the word all over the world. it's actually bigger than him right now. >> his death wasn't in vain. he definitely started a movement that it was about time. >> george floyd is going to change the arc of the future of the united states. this moment. this moment right now... this is our commencement. no, we'll not get a diplo

we'll go to gabe gutierrez who is at the site of george floyd's fatal encounter with police. gabe? it was incredible to see all the cheers during reverend al's powerful eulogy where he often repeated that phrase "get off our necks." that powerful phrase that really brought tears to the crowd. now this is the location, as you mentioned, where george floyd uttered his last breath. nicole, we have been standing with people here -- several of them on msnbc yesterday and the reaction to what happened the last couple of days have been mixed. there are others who say it's not enough. a man in south minneapolis earlier today broke into tears when he came here for the first time. right now there's a chant erupting here. "what's his name?" and they're repeating george floyd. the crowd passionately reacting to this service. i should mention that at the same time the memorial service was happening, the three officers face adjudge earlier this afternoon in minneapolis. we heard from their attorneys for the first time. they were read their charges and the judge gave them bond. the focus today he

as we continue to await this service to get under way, i want to go to gabe gutierrez. he's been on the ground here for the last many days in minneapolis, gabe, the tone in this city certainly has shifted. it's been quiet on one level, yet, persistent in folks continuing to ask for justice. >> reporter: that's right, lester. you were here a short time ago at the scene where george floyd stepped out of the way and show you, as you mentioned, the tone here in this city shifted considerably. when i first got here a week ago, it has since shifted to celebratory honoring george floyd's wife. it's been days as well f. you look at live pictures, you see them putting their hands in the air. it was extremely emotional when the crowd here learns of new charges against those officers. many got down on one knee and put their hands in the air with four fingers saying they've got all four. certainly here today, there were members of the congressional black caucus that paid their respects. yesterday, george bush's son 22-years-old came here and paid his respects. the family demanded f

gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, craig, good morning.you mentioned, new york city preparing for phase two of reopening on monday. officials expect up to 300,000 workers to return to work. i'm standing in front of lenox hill hospital on the upper east side. as you mentioned, it is one of many facilities that dealt with that huge influx of covid-19 patients several weeks and months ago. now the doctors and nurses here are just beginning to process the emotional toll from that. they're also preparing for a potential second wave later this year. inside lenox hill hospital in manhattan, the fight against the coronavirus has changed drastically. >> one month ago on this unit, alarm bells everywhere -- >> reporter: this doctor and her colleagues are still treating covid-19 patients, but much less frequently. right now this is the hospital's only covid unit. at one point at the height of the pandemic it has more than 20, dealing with more than 300 patients across the hospital. on this day, just six. >> reporter: they're now preparing for a poten

. >> lori whitty, came day once again on location, on the show, the giant skipper, gabe kapler, who in month will make his managerial debut for san francisco, a debut that three months ago would have looked a lot different.>> almost 9 months since the giants introduced a new manager gabe kapler. the thing about 2020, the season was supposed to be no bruce in the dugout. but instead. >> baseball will be back, that they will be more important than any recent opening day in history, we would have gotten through this difficult time together. >> even though the virus is far from being contained, major- league baseball will play baseball. managing a 60 day sprint through november omitted restrictions. >> no spitting, no licking fingers, daily temperature checks,

was silence, eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time floyd was pinned to the ground here is gabe gutierrez. ♪ >> reporter: ten days after his death, friends and family of george floyd took a breath >> all these people came to see my brother, and that's amazing to me, that he touched so many poem's hearts. >> reporter: he's touched the world, sparking a long-simmering reckoning, an explosion of fury and frustration over race and policing, but also in recent days a newfound unity and calls for action. >> what happened to floyd happens every day in this country in education, american life. it's time for us to stand up in george's name and say get your knee off our necks >> reporter: reverend al sharpton delivering an impassioned eulogy calling for accountability in the justice system and announcing a new march in washington on the anniversary of mlk's i have a dream speech lloyd's attorney, ben crump. >> so when we fight for the george floyd's of the world, but more importantly when we fight for the unknown george floyds of the world, when we fight for the trayvon martins of the wor

here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: today terence floyd was overwhelmed, his steps heavy with grief as he saw for the first time the ground where his brother took his last breath >> my family is a peaceful family. my family is god fearing. yeah, we are sad but we're not going to take it. >> reporter: it was exactly a week ago that george floyd died after a minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes his death now at the heart of the nation's unrest his youngest brother >> y'all wait. let's do this another way. let's stop thinking our voice don't matter and vote >> reporter: late today the hennepin county medical examiner released floyd's autopsy, determining his death was a homicide caused by cardiopulmonary arrest while he was restrained by the officers hours earlier, floyd's family released its own independent autopsy. it found the manner of death was homicide caused by asphyxia due to a neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain. >> the autopsy shows that mr. floyd had no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to h

three has been criminally charged no comment today from the police union, and lester >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thanks. >>> with an intense conversation about race in this country americans mark juneteenth today with events from coast-to-coast here's blayne alexander. >> reporter: this is america's celebration, from d.c. -- >> we all have the power to make a change. >> reporter: to detroit. atlanta to l.a people all over the country honoring juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in the u.s. >> now i feel that sense of community and a sense of empowerment that i get from the day. from my peers, black and non-black. >> reporter: but with the country right in the middle of a racial reckoning this year's festivities take on new meaning. >> i stand here today as an educated black woman with a hard work ethic that pushes me to -- more than what has prevented -- >> reporter: in new york nurses took a knee. >> different forms of slavery today but hopefully it will change soon. >> reporter: while in detroit this street now bearing a new message. >> now we have the attention of the wo

gabe gutierrez is on duty there. gabe, it would seem as if, after george floyd's younger brother showed up last night and prayed for peace, it seemed as if the protests there in minneapolis were more peaceful than they had been in previous nights. what's the case there this morning? >> reporter: hi, craig, good morning. certainly here in the twin cities it has been extremely peaceful over the last several days. as you can see around me, this is the site where george floyd took his last breaths. it's a very emotional scene here. there are speakers here, people from all walks of life that come here now to pay their respects. you can see it's a very diverse crowd. it has been peaceful. george floyd's brother terrence came here yesterday with a very impassioned plea standing there asking for people to earned the violence and called for peaceful protests. last night in the minneapolis area there was a small protest past curfew at the state capitol, other arrests as well. there were some arrests but all peaceful. it would

nbc's gabe gutierrez remains on duty there in minneapolis this morning. gabe, first of all, the city council expected to talk about and potentially vote on what today? >> reporter: yes, the city council within the next few hours, early this afternoon, they're going to discuss that temporary restraining order on the part of the state. you remember a few days ago, craig, the department of human rights had actually filed a civil rights charge in ordering sweeping civil rights investigation of the minneapolis police department for the first time. now it's time for the city to explain how it will comply with that and they've been negotiating the terms of that. immediate changes, both short and long term to the police department. they're going to be discussing that in an emergency meeting this afternoon. it will be a remote meeting because they're all zooming in or facetime or at their homes. they will be discussing this afternoon when they plan to have a vote. what could that mean? there's some discussion of perhaps shifting some of the responsibility to respo

kerry sanders, nbc news >> reporter: this is gabe gutierrez in new york the one-time epicenter of the coronavirus which today hit a major milestone. phase two of reopening. outdoor dining, retail stores and barbershops are back >> for me, i'm ecstatic i have cabin fever. >> reporter: elsie perez among the early shoppers at old navy's flag ship. >> we've been waiting for this since the moment we locked the doors. >> reporter: for some offices seismic changes. >> as we're walking through right now temperatures are being scanned. >> reporter: thermal scanners now flag employees with potentially high temperatures >> your temperature is 97.1 currently. >> reporter: for more screening, the ceo of rxr realty showed us how elevators read key to know what floor you're going to. and employee arrival times ar staggered to limit how crowded they get >> this elevator knows where we're going? >> it knows where we're going an it only allows four people. >> reporter: this is how the workplace will look for the foreseeable future. >> the new abnormal, the period between when we have a vaccine and when

finally, a somber day of mourning in charleston, south carolina, and a renewed call for change here's gabe gutierrez. >> break it down >> reporter: tonight in charleston, officials are calling for the removal of a statue dedicated to a slavery advocate on the same day the city remembered one of its darkest hours. >> reporter: it was unthinkable, really, five years ago today a self-pro claimed white supremacist went to ith the gr that welcomed him. then, he opened fire killing the senior pastor and eight of his parishioners alicia sanders is one of five survivors. she forgave the gunman. >> i wear a smile. the reason i wear the smile because if you look at the pictures of our nine, they all wore a beautiful smile. >> reporter: following the massacre there were calls for unity now community leaders are calling for action on gun violence, police brutality and what they see as systemic racism in the wake of george floyd's death. >> people want to think that -- >> reporter: reverend sharon rishe lost her mother and two cousins in charleston. >> it's full-time for this country to get a grip on t

savannah >> gabe, thank you >>> former national security adviser john bolton is, again, unloading onhe president today before the release of his new book meanwhile, there are now coronavirus concerns about the president's event in arizona tomorrow here's nbc's geoff bennett. >> reporter: less than 24 hours before his book hit store shelves john bolton taking aim at his former boss. >> the biggest fear i have is that his policymaking is so incoherent, so info kused, so unstructured, so wrapped around his own personal political fortunes that mistakes are being made that will have grave consequences for the national security of the united states. >> reporter: bolton also saying he won't vote for the president. >> i'm not going to vote for him in november, certainly not going to vote for joe biden either. >> reporter: house democrats are considering calling bolton for new hearings, while slamming him for refusing to testify without a subpoena during impeachment proceedings. >> to the length and degree he indicts donald trump, he indicts himself for coward is and greed. >> falling him a w

>> gabe gutierrez, thank you for that. >>> and tonight there is growing outrage in tucson, arizona after a latino man died in police custody, saying he could not breathe it happened two months ago but is just coming to light now miguel almaguer has that story and a warning some of the video is disturbing. >> reporter: the tributes in tucson are filled with tears, anger and a sense it's happened again one month before many marched here for george floyd -- >> i can't breathe >> i can't breathe. >> reporter: carlos ingram lopez also died while in police custody. >> we're going to protest and we're not going to stay quiet. >> reporter: like floyd he told officers he couldn't breathe. >> oh, i can't breathe. let me have some water. >> reporter: in late april three officers responding to a disorderly conduct call, say they found the young father unclothed and acting erratically. the police chief says officers did not use a choke hold on the 27-year-old. but did cuff him, restraining lopez in a prone position, facedown with a spit hood on, a mesh covering over his head for about 12 minutes, as

lester >> gabe gutierrez, a remarkable scene behind you barricade outside the police station thank you. >>> as demonstrations continue across america today, more examples are emerging of police using deadly force, underscoring the sweeping demands for change and accountability we're seeing with that story, here's gadi schwartz we need to warn you, some of the images are disturbing. >> reporter: tonight more evidence of police violence as the nation grapples with policing in america. but some officials pushing back saying officers are now being targeted early this morning in california, an officer shot when someone opened fire on their police station, hitting a squad car before getting away. the suspect still at large. >> i can't breathe >> reporter: but in protests across the country a demand for change is signs and chants o "i can't breathe, and underscored videos continuing to surface of police use of force, like the death of manuel ellis in tacoma, washington newly released home security footage and cell phone video showing glimpses of what happened three months ago when they tried

craig. >> gabe gutierrez also here in minneapolis at the site of the memorial. we should acknowledge for our viewers and our listeners or sirius satellite radio, the music that you're hearing right now, it would seem as if they are testing out the sound system. it would also seem as if they have plans to pipe the actual service itself outside the auditorium here at north central college. so that's what's happening right now. let me bring in the mayor of the other twin city, st. paul, minnesota, mayor melvin carter joins me now. mayor, first of all, just your general reaction to these new charges that were announced yesterday by the attorney general, keith ellison. do we think now with the announcement of those charges that the protests, the demonstrations should stop? >> thanks for having me on. i think those charges are critically important. we're all now eyewitnesses to the killing of george floyd. we've seen the video. we all know how vicious and unacceptable and unjust his murder was. i think the real question is when we all have to sit and wonder and hope i

gabe gutierrez, nbc news, minneapolis. >> reporter: i'm joe fryer in houston where today a long linerapped around fountain of praise church, like outstretched arm welcoming george floyd home one last time. >> our message is to provide help and hope and help people really begin to heal. >> reporter: despite a heat index of 100 degrees, a massive crowd came to floyd's public viewing, including many who had never met him. >> we're all family at the end of the day, anyways, so we're here to support the movement. >> reporter: floyd's president joe biden, this photo tweeted by the family's attorney. floyd was born in north carolina, he grew up in houston's inner third ward neighborhood where a mural now pays tribute. >> this is where it started from >> reporter: in high school floyd was a 6'6" star athlete making it to the state football championship and earning a college basketball scholarship. so your first alley-oop was to george. >> his heart was gold, man. he's the perfect guy. perfect guy on our team >> reporter: he's still remembered by his second grade teacher. she recently dug out

lester. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you.ore i made my way to north central university for today's service, i visited the place where george floyd died to talk with people about the way forward, about trust and what change looks like along the street where george floyd was killed sits the intersection where pain and bewilderment meet wary optimism that things can change. >> do you have faith and trust that this is going to bring about change soon? >> yeah, i think so. we made history. minnesota did make history. >> others aren't so sure. >> where were you when it happened? >> i was home actually. >> community resident and activist candice montgomery has heard promises before. now she's among those here calling for a controversial move >> we need to move transition away from our policing system right now.that's what justice will look like. >> when you say moving away, are you talking about abolishing police >> yeah, i'm absolutely talking about abolishing police transitioning away from the minneapolis police department here lo

gabe, thank you.nother major story we're following this morning, the economy, with unemployment already at the highest level in our lifetimes, all eyes are on the jobs report being released this morning. let's get right to nbc's tom costello. tom, how is it looking? does it mean the worst is behind us? >> that certainly is the talk. it is a shocker of a report. economists predicted we could have a 20% unemployment rate, a post depression high. instead, strong indications america is getting back to business and hiring again. this morning, whiplash economic news. the unemployment rate actually dropping in the month of may to 13.3%. far better than the expectation that unemployment could rise to nearly 20%. >> we saw the biggest job loss when states first shut down. now that we're shifting into reopening, you're seeing a lot of the jobs come back. >> as many move through reopening phase, the economy added 2.5 million jobs in may. economists had forecast today's report could show up to 8 million jobs lost

after a violent encounter with police, and word three officers involved are on modified duty here's gabeierrez. >> this is of elijah mcclain's final trip to buy iced at a at a convenience store in colorado. he sometimes wore a ski mask to keep warm because he was anemic. >> what's the address of the emergency >> reporter: minutes later this 911 call. >> he's walking south on -- he has a mask on >> reporter: the caller tells the dispatcher a man looks sketchy but makes no mention of any crime. >> were any weapons involved or mentioned? >> no. >> reporter: officers arrive at the scene. >> i have a right to stop you because you're being suspicious >> reporter: and within 19 seconds an escalation. >> let go of me. i am an introvert. respect the boundaries that i am speaking stop, stop, i'm going home. >> relax or i'm going to have to change this situation. >> reporter: during a struggle one officer says this. >> stop, dude. >> reporter: officers then apply a choke hold on mcclain's neck. >> i can't breathe correctly. >> reporter: eight minutes pass with mcclain on the ground occasionally thr

gabe gutierrez, nbc news, minneapolis. >>> in 60 seconds the tense standoff and the good samaritan who took action. what he did that has so many people talking tonight. >>> back now with that remarkable story from washington the man being praised by some for taking in dozens of protesters cornered by the police we get that story now from nbc's andrea mitchell >> reporter: a harrowing night for a group of protesters in the nation's capitol they say police herded them into a narrow one-way street about a mile from the white house corralling them with no way out and unleashing a barrage of pepper spray. >> they said they were enforcing curfew but people were asking please let me go, let me go home i live right there, please let me go home. >> reporter: a long time resident standing on his front steps describes the scene like a tsunami coming his way. >> and just a stream of people came running through here and pepper spray is being sprayed all the way up against the house, against the windows. people were running through for ten minutes straight >> we saw raul, he was having people come i

a powerful look inside one of the covid units that battled the virus at the epicenter gabe gutierrez tonight on lessons learned for the potential next wave. >> reporter: inside lenox hill hospital in manhattan, the fight against the coronavirus has changed drastically. >> one month ago on this unit, alarm bells everywhere. >> reporter: they're still treating covid-19 patients but much less frequently. right now this is the hospital's only covid unit at one point in the height of the pandemic it had about 20 and was dealing with more than 300 patients across the hospital. on this day, just six. they're now preparing for a potential second wave later this year coinciding with flu season they can triple their number of icu beds, on site testing has improved but a shortage of reagents, the chemicals needed to conduct the tests, often made overseas. as america reopens -- >> we just have to be ready, people are socially distancing still, you know, hand hygiene. you can't completely control this disease despite all the preventative measures but it definitely helps. >> reporter: at the pande

. >> reporter: this is gabe gutierrez in minneapolis. today the city council voted unanimously that officers are required to intervene any time they see unauthorized use of force by another cop, and to ban choke holds all together. >> when i first hear that, that's a pretty damn low bar just to start, in terms that we hadn't had that. >> reporter: it comes after the state ordered a sweeping civil rights investigation of the police department this week. >> we are ready to rise to this tragedy of george floyd's murder >> reporter: lisa bender is the council president. are you dismantling the minneapolis police department >> yes, i think the changes need to be that substantive and significant and will need to be done with deep engagement from our community. so, to folks that that idea sounds radical, i invite you in to that process with an open mind. >> reporter: charged with second-d officer derek chauvin is due in court monday he has still not commented publicly heavily redacted personnel records show he worked in military police in the u

the case has become a flash point for nationwide outrage gabe gutierrez now with the latest. >> reporter: today the fbi searched the apartment where breonna taylor was shot and killed, 98 days after her death and louisville's mayor announced one of the three officers involved would be fired from his conduct. >> both the chief and i are precluded from talking about what brought us to this moment or even the timing of this decision. >> reporter: but in a letter to now former officer brett hankison, the chief writes your actions displayed an indifference to the value of human life when you wantonly and blindly fired ten rounds into the apartment of breonna taylor, i find your conduct a shock to the conscience protests over the lack of charges in the case have stretched far beyond kentucky, intensifying nationwide after the killing of george floyd in minneapolis overnight louisville, more unrest. >> we cannot tolerate the destruction we saw last night. >> reporter: hankison was one of three cops who arrived at taylor's apartment back in march with a narcotics search warrant. police say the o

our gabe gutierrez has the latest >> reporter: in an orange jump suit and wearing a blue face covering former officer derek chauvin face the judge for the first time over a video link, charge with second-degree murder and manslaughter after the death of george floyd. a judge set bail at $1 million with conditions including supervised release and surrendering any firearms chauvin's lawyer once again did not comment on the charges >> no justice. no peace. >> say his name! >> george floyd. >> reporter: the case rocked the minneapolis police department. which is also under a state civil rights investigation. one day after the mayor was booed for not committing to abolishing the police, a veto proof majority of the city council pledged to disband the department and replace it with more community based policing though details could take up to a year. >> we're talking about engaging a plan to create a public safety system that works for everyone >> reporter: meanwhile, a lawyer involved says floyr was resisting arrest. >> he didn't do anything wrong he was a police officer trying to do his jo

gabe gutierrez now with the latest. >> stop, i have a right to stop you because you're being suspicious. >> reporter: tonight there's growing outrage over this body camera video from last august where officers in aurora, colorado stopped 23-year-old elijah mcclain. >> i am an introvert respect the boundaries that i am speaking >> reporter: mcclain later died after being placed in a choke hold an internal investigation found the officers followed policy but now more than 3 million people have signed an online petition and the governor's office says it will re-examine the case. >> do you think th george floy case made it a parent that it wa wasn't going to stop. >> reporter: here in new york an officer was arrested today on strangulation charges after video surfaced last weekend. >> stop choking him, wrote. >> reporter: authorities now say he used a banned choke hold on a suspect. the officer pleaded not guilty his attorney says it's disheartening to see prosecutors succumb to political pleasure. >>> in miami gardens florida, an officer was charged with misconduct and battery after he was

not be tolerated >> reporter: more incidents now coming to light as officers face mounting scrutiny gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new york. >> stop, i have a right to stop you. >>> the race for president is heating up tonight president trump and joe biden both campaigning in battleground states with key new poll numbers just out the latest from nbc news white house correspondent geoff bennett. >> reporter: joe biden tonight taking aim at president trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis. >> he's like a child who can't believe this has happened to him. and his job isn't to whine about it his job is to do something about it, to lead >> reporter: the presumptive democratic presidential nominee campaigning in pennsylvania, boosted by new polling from the "new york times," showing him now leading in six battleground states that were key to president trump's 2016 victory. including wisconsin, where president trump traveled today. >> under this administration you know that american workers like you are a national treasure. >> reporter: at this point in 2016 then candidate trump was also trailing

giant skipper, gabe kepler is jacked out of his mind to go back to the office, and actually have gameso prepare for again. >> we are going to do two things. we are going to stay safe, and we are going to compete and create game -like competition and game since, because we are not going to have a normal spring training game scenario. we are not going to see teams with other uniforms on. >> that entire interview with gabe kepler tonight on game day at 11:30. nfl news. within the last hour, the patriots are signing former mvp cam newton to a one-year deal, which puts him in position to replace tom brady in new england. newton has been released by carolina in march. former raider head court joe bugle passed away sunday. he was known for being washington's offensive line coach in the 1980s. bugle spent one season at the helm for the silver and black in 1997. bugle was 80 years old. vga, at least one fan was allowed at the travelers championship, brandon todd again the final round with a two-stroke lead. dustin johnson picked up where he left off after shooting a 61 yesterday. tj roles in th

here is nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: today, terrence floyd was overwhelmed, his steps heavy withrief, as he saw for the first time the ground where his brother took his last breath. >> my family is a peace florida. my family is god fearing. we're upset and we're not going to take it. >> reporter: exactly a week ago george floyd died after a minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes, now at the heart of the nation's unrest. his youngest brother is calling for an end to the violence. >> let's do it another way. let's vote. >> reporter: the hennepin county medical examiner released floyd's autopsy, determining his death was a homicide caused by cardiopulmonary arrest while he was restrained by the officer. hours earlier, floyd's family released its own independent autopsy. it found the manner of death was homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that restricted blood flow to the brain. >> the autopsy shows mr. floyd had no underlying medical problem that caused or contributed to his death. >> reporter: a new nbc news analysis of police records

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest. >>> stop. i have a right to stop you -- >> reporter: this morning, calls for criminal charges are mounting after three police officers in aurora, colorado, stopped elijah mcclain last august. they had gotten a call about a suspicious man wearing a mask and waving his arms. his family says mcclain often wore a ski mask to keep warm because of a blood condition. >> i am an introvertment please respect the boundaries that i'm seeking -- >> reporter: police say mcclain stopped walking and fought back when confronted. one officer says he heard another yell "he's going for your gun." the officers took him into custody by placing him in a choke hold. paramedics later sedating him. >> i can't breathe correctly because -- >> reporter: he died at a hospital days later. an internal investigation found the officers followed policy. the autopsy report says mcclain's cause of death was undetermined. and the district attorney declined to file charges. >> i'm not trying to justify the officers' actions. i'm on

lester >> yeah, gabe, i'll be joining you in minneapolis tomorrow for special live coverage of georgeloyd's memorial then "nightly news" and an nbc news special in prime time on "america in crisis." >>> for the first time tonight former president obama is speaking out about the death of george floyd and the importance of making this a moment for real change our peter alexander has late details. >> reporter: late tonight president obama speaking out during a virtual town hall with young people. >> i want you to know that you matter i want you to know that your lives matter, that your dreams matter, and you should be able to learn and make mistakes and live a life of joy without having to worry about what's going to happen when you walk to the store or go for a jog or are driving down the street or looking at some birds in a park. >> reporter: america's first black president directly addressing the families of george floyd and other african-americans whose deaths have wounded the country. >> please know that michelle and i and the nation grieve with you, hold you in your prayers. we're

in court as the head of the police union fights back against efforts to defund the department nbc's gabe gutierrez is there. >> reporter: can you share any responsibility in what happened >> reporter: out on bail two of the former minneapolis officers stayed silent today as they left their pre-trial hearing, thomas lane and alex kueng were rookie cops and following the lead of senior officer derek chauvin. the judge warned them to limit pre-trial publicity. >> this is absolutely insane we all have gathered here to talk about my nephew getting murdered by a damn madman in the middle of the street for the color of his skin. >> reporter: his attorney has repeatedly declined to comment. the three other ex-officers are accused of aiding and abetting second degree murder, all face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. in a court filing late today. kueng pleaded not toa lawyer f would not comment, except offer condoll lenses to george floyd's family. >> what they did to him and the way they did it it was bigger than racist. it was about humanity. >> reporter: a few days ago the city council vo

andrea, back to you. >> and thanks, gabe. thanks so much to you for everything you've been doing over the last few days. and we should point out that the reverend al sharpton will be giving one of the eulogies, the first eulogy in minnesota, which will then be followed, he said today, in the last hour, with north carolina and houston, and that's going to start on thursday. and robert smith, the african-american philanthropist, and tyler perry, have both been in touch with the family to cover the costs of the appropriate funeral and of transportation and the like for the families as well. now to kathy park in new york, where, certainly in brooklyn and in soho and in union square, there's been so much overnight activity for the last few days and a lot of police incidents that mayor de blasio is being questioned about today and governor cuomo as well has been appointed the attorney general of the state, an elected attorney general, to look in and oversee whatever new york investigation, new york city investigation takes place in

savannah. >> gabe, thank you. we move now to washington and the widespread criticism facing the president in wake of that scene monday. law enforcement cracking down on a protest across the street from the white house to clear the way so that the president could walk to st. johns church and make a statement. we're now learning more about what led up to that moment and how it all unfolded. nbc's peter alexander at the white house with that. hey, peter, good morning. >> hey, savannah, good morning to you. the president defending his decision to make that short walk to st. johns church shortly after protesters were forcibly cleared from the area, what cleared from the area, what may be one of the most define moments of his presidency. this clearly came together quickly. secretary of defense in an interview said even he didn't know where he was going. he thought he was going to thank the troops or check out a vandalized bathroom in lafayette park. for the second time in as many days president trump is sparking fierce

see the body camera footage from the incident here which has not been publicly released lester >> gabe gutierrez tonight, thank you. >>> the firestorm involving president trump after he retweeted an inflammatory video made during a protest in st. louis this follows a racist video he retweeted the day before kristen welker has more now from the white house. >> reporter: tonight as protests for racial justice persist the president is again stoking tensions on twitter. sharing a video today of a white couple in an upscale st. louis neighborhood pointing firearms and shouting at people protesting the white house has not commented on that video but it comes a day after the president retweeted another video showing an apparent trump supporter at a florida retirement community shouting white power at anti-trump protesters. >> white power, white power. >> reporter: the president took the tweet down amid bipartisan backlash and after his ally senator tim scott called the tweet indefensible on sunday. >> there's no question he should not have retweeted it and it should be taken down. >> reporter

in practical terms what does this vote by city council mean, gabe, and for the mayor tos shouted down with "shame," stunning in the part of a platform of reforming police? >> reporter: right, andrea. certainly. the protesters were heard by the city council members, majority of which, you mentioned, agreed to defund police just yesterday. the question is, what would it actually look like? and jeremiah ellison one of the city council members said this is going to be a question city council members will ask for input from the public for up to the next year. right now they don't have details about how this exactly will work, but some of the ideas tossed around perhaps hiring more mental health counselors instead of relying solely on police for 911 calls. something not new, talked about for quite a while around the country. given the death of george floyd it's gotten traction here and in other parts of the country, for example, in new york where mayor bill de blasio said he is shifting some police resources away from the police department and investing more in youth and social services. ma

. >> well, but here's the thing, gabe. i hear you, i hear you, and i wanted to give you a chance to give a full-throated explanation of it, but plenty of people are holding elections during the pandemic. the office of the secretary of state in your state, as in most is responsible for election planning and certification. so this is your problem, even if it's executed at the county level. two, lots of states have done it without what we're seeing now on your watch in your major city. >> to be fair, we had to roll out a new voting machine, new system we had just started. we had two weeks of early voting of presidential preference primary voting, and when we merge those two together, we launched the largest mail-in program ever in the history of the state of georgia, over a million voters taking advantage of it. it's blown away the record turnouts we've seen. as of today, before we voted today, we already had record turnout for a general primary. never happened before. over 1,300,000 people. we have three weeks of early votin

gabe gutierrez joins us now. gabe, this happened ten months ago.s the governor taking action now? >> hi, stephanie. good morning. this case has been getting a lot more attention recently. controversial police encounters have faced greater scrutiny in the wake of george floyd's death but this one out of colorado is getting an especially large response. we spoke to elijah mcclain's mother, who's frustrated it took this long. >> i have a right to stop you because you're being suspicious. >> reporter: this morning calls for criminal charges are mounting after plea police officers in aurora, colorado, stopped elijah mcclain last august. they had gotten a cull about a suspicious man wearing a mask and waving his arms. his family said mcclain often wore a ski mask to keep warm because of a blood condition. >> i am an introvert. please respect the boundaries i'm speaking. >> reporter: police say mcclain refused to stop walking and fought back when confronted. one officer said he heard another yell he's going for your gun. the officers say they took him int

nbc's gabe gutierrez is there again for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. former officer derek chauvin is set to appear before a judge on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges. the death is now reigniting a larger conversation across the country about the role of policing. many city council members now say they want to disband the department. this morning fired minneapolis police officer derek chauvin is preparing for his first court appearance facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter after the death of george floyd. chauvin still declining to comment. one day after the mayor was booed for not agreeing to abolish the police. >> we're talking about engaging a plan to create a public safety system that works for everyone. >> reporter: whether it's dismantling departments or reinvesting other programs, demands are growing across the country. in new york city, bill de blasio is moving some resources. >> we are committed to shifting resources to ensure the focus is on our young people. >> reporter: eric garcetti is pledging to cut $150 mil

nbc's gabe gutierrez is there. gabe, what exactly does that mean? >> hi there, stephanie. good morning. certainly this san idea that started gaining traction late last week. over the weekend, a veto-proof majority of the minneapolis city council came out and pledged to dismantle the minneapolis police department. president trump tweeting about it such a short time ago this morning. what will this all mean? well, certain city council members say this does not mean abolishing the police department entirely but basically breaking it down, dismantling it and building it back up. now what would that look like? that's the big question at this point. they are asking for input from the public and it could take up to a year for them to figure out how this will work. some of the ideas being tossed around is perhaps getting -- hiring more mental health counselors for 911 calls that involve mental health instead of relying solely on the police. and this is something that's starting to play out really across the country. major cities such as new york announcing shifts in police funding

gabe, what do you have? >> reporter: hey, there, katy. just spoke with the family attorney, ben crump, and he says that he expects that the three other officers involved in the george floyd case that have not been charged, he expects them to be charged by next tuesday, before floyd is laid to rest on tuesday. now, we have live pictures of a large gathering, not far from here. i'm in downtown minneapolis right now, in south minneapolis, at the site where george floyd died and took his last breath. a large group of peaceful protesters have gone there. i also spoke just a short time ago with donald williams. he is one of the eyewitnesss that night, more than a week ago now, he is haunted by what he saw and still processi ining the saw a man die, essentially, before his eyes. take a listen to what he had to say. >> i observed the situation before i interacted. i interacted once one of the young ladies said, i believe his nose is starting to bleed. at the time, george is on the floor, panting for his life, k asking forfask ing for forgiveness,

so i'll raise that question that the lawyer just asked, gabe, why now?nce surfacing or is this an acknowledgement that this actually deserved closer attention the first time around when it happened? >> reporter: well, hi there, chris. the answer is there has been intense, very intense public pressure over the last several weeks. this body camera video has been out there for months, it has got some local media attention after it first happened, but the fact is that the governor is appears to be responding to as the lawyer mentioned millions of online signatures, more than 3 million online signatures demanding this case be looked into. and there are more rallies and protests scheduled over the coming days, chris. i spoke with elijah mcclain's mother yesterday and she seems to view this as almost too little too late in her words. she says this should have been looked into months ago and she is extremely frustrated at how this case has been handled, chris. but, yes, the initial autopsy came back as the cause of death being undetermined, despite what is seen

>> gabe, thank you. also new this morning, amc movie theater.ef executive officer says when the chain reopens next month, moviegoers will not be required to wear face masks. he says the company did not want to be drawn into a political controversy, but he insists the chain will implement other sanitation and safety measures. amc plans to reopen more than 400 locations on july 15th. i just want to remind our audience. wearing a mask is not about politics. it's about health. it's about safety. >>> next, cities across the country are celebrating juneteenth today. we're going to explore the push to make it a federal holiday and hear from some incredible people about what freedom really means and how far we still need to go. first, a check on the markets as we end the week. dow up 300-plus points this morning. it's a thirteen-hour flight, that's not a weekend trip. fifteen minutes until we board. oh yeah, we gotta take off. you downloaded the td ameritrade mobile app so you can quickly check the markets? yeah, actually i'm taking one last look at my