Three New Hampshire students involved in the filming of a video reenacting George Floyd's death won't be charged, prosecutors said Thursday, though they decried it as "disturbing, distasteful and extremely disrespectful."
The video shows two Kingston high school students laughing as they seemingly mock Floyd's death. One student is on the ground while the other stands above him, his knee on the other's neck and what appears to be a gun to his head.
The boy on the ground wasn't harmed and took part in the incident voluntarily, according to a joint statement from Kingston police and the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office that announced that charges wouldn't be brought. Still, the authorities condemned the video.
"The behavior the three juveniles in this case engaged in is disturbing, distasteful and extremely disrespectful to the late George Floyd and his family," police and prosecutors said.
Sanborn High School, where the three students involved with the video attend, has condemned it as well. The video was posted to social media Monday afternoon and, according to school officials, community members started reporting it right away.
Police and prosecutors noted Thursday that putting pressure on the neck of a person and cutting off their breathing or blood flow, or changing their voice, is a felony in New Hampshire. They also said that some people have been reenacting Floyd's death on social media as a kind of trend that the agencies called "hateful."
They said that they are "committed to combating racism and social injustice in our community" but urged the community not to perpetuate hate and violence by retaliating against the students.
"While we are sickened by the behavior of the three juveniles, please do not engage in criminal behavior towards these young men and their respective families," they said.
