A Mississippi mayor whose remarks about the death of George Floyd in police custody drew condemnation is resisting calls to resign, including from his own town's board of aldermen. "Why in the world would anyone choose to become a police officer in our society today?” Petal Mayor Hal Marx tweeted Tuesday, the day four Minneapolis police officers were fired. Floyd, a black man, was handcuffed and pleading for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck Monday. In a follow-up tweet, the Republican mayor directly referenced the Floyd case, saying he "didn't see anything unreasonable," the AP reports."If you can say you can't breathe, you're breathing," he said. "Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack. Video doesn't show his resistance that got him in that position. Police being crucified."
Javon Patterson, an offensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts, and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Alford both criticized Marx on social media. "You know as a former resident of Petal ... this is truly disturbing to see," Patterson tweeted. "How could you watch this disturbing video and make such an idiotic comment. But this guy is supposed to be the leader of 'the friendly city,'" Alford, a Petal High School alumnus, wrote on Facebook. The Petal Board of Aldermen held a special meeting Thursday, voting unanimously to ask for Marx's resignation, the Clarion Ledger reported. At the meeting Marx, whose Twitter account no longer exists, said he and his family had received death threats and called people asking for his resignation bullies. "I will never surrender to the mob mentality,” he said
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