Saint Paul, May 27 (IANS): Four members of the Minneapolis Police Department have been fired over the death of a black man who was taken into custody and seen on video being pinned down by his neck.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the four officers were now "former employees".

"We know there are inherent dangers in the profession of policing but the vast majority of the work we do never requires the use of force," Arradondo said.

Footage shows the man, George Floyd, groaning and repeatedly saying "I can't breathe" to the white officer, the BBC reported.

The incident echoed that of Eric Garner, a black man who died being arrested in New York City in 2014.

The FBI has said it will investigate the Minneapolis incident, which took place on Monday evening.

Minnesota police said Floyd, who had worked providing security at a restaurant, died after a "medical incident" in a "police interaction".

On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Jacob Frey confirmed the four officers involved in the incident had been "erminated".

"This is the right call," he tweeted.

At a press conference earlier, Frey had described the incident as "completely and utterly messed up".

"I believe what I saw and what I saw is wrong on every level," he said. "Being black in America should not be a death sentence."

The video was widely shared on social media sparking national outcry from politicians and members of the public who have called for the police officers involved to be held accountable.

The names of the four cops have not been released, but the two seen in the video have been identified by Floyd's family's lawyer as officers Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao.