Tyler Oliveira, a YouTuber known for his experiment, challenge, and investigative videos, recently took to the streets of Minneapolis to gather opinions about the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots that rocked the city in 2020.
A video of the exchanges, which Oliveira shared with his 7 million YouTube subscribers, features a range of perspectives. However, an interview with a uniformed postal worker standing in front of his postal truck has gained attention online.
Postal worker says white, outside instigators are to blame
“I can tell you the initial intent was peaceful … You have people instigating—white people with Uzis are not Minneapolis liberals, OK? They’re from somewhere else driving cars and trucks without license plates,” the postal worker said, sharing his thoughts on the riots that followed Floyd’s death.
Uniformed Mpls postal worker blames “white people with Uzis” for 2020 unrest in viral @tyleraloevera video pic.twitter.com/Aju97ffJ9H
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) December 5, 2024
When Oliveira shifted the conversation to contributing factors in Floyd’s death, such as the presence of methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system, the postal worker appeared visibly frustrated.
“Oh my God, I don’t want to hear about that,” he said. “He [Floyd] was not a Girl Scout … I wanna know the perfect victim on both white and black sides where the person slaughtered was an angel from God.”
The conversation then turned to the use of force by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
“I want to put a knee on your chest for 13 minutes. Tell me what that would do to you without a thing in your system. Do you think you could do 13 minutes without oxygen?” the postal worker asked.
Oliveira responded, “Well, I mean he was screaming, ‘I can’t breathe.’”
“Exactly,” the postal worker replied.
“Have you ever screamed with no oxygen in your lungs?” asked Oliveira.
“No, no,” said the postal worker, who appeared exasperated.
Postal worker cites high-profile cases
The postal worker also criticized police officers in general for what he described as excessive use of force in high-profile cases across the country.
“Why is your first reaction as a police officer is to gun down? Trayvon Martin, was he eight? 10? Breonna Taylor … she was asleep [and] gunned down,” said the postal worker.
Trayvon Martin was 17 years old when he was shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, during a physical altercation in Florida in 2012. Zimmerman, who claimed self-defense in the fatal shooting, was later found not guilty by a jury.
In 2020, Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed watching a movie in her Kentucky apartment when police executed a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation. Walker fired a gunshot, striking one officer. Police returned fire, and Taylor was killed in the crossfire.
Post office response
Alpha News reached out to the United States Postal Service for comment. In response, a spokesperson stated, “These comments were expressed in a personal capacity and do not reflect the views or positions of the United States Postal Service.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
