All four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd death

By Brendan O'Brien

 

Former Minnesota police officers (clockwise from top left) Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng poses in a combination of booking photographs from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS.

 

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Wednesday leveled new criminal charges against all four Minneapolis police officers in the death of an unarmed black man who was pinned by his neck to the street during an arrest, sparking nine days of nationwide protests.

 

Derek Chauvin, arrested Friday on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, 46, was newly charged with an additional, more serious count of second-degree murder, according to court documents filed in the case.

 

The new charge can carry a sentence of up to 40 years, 15 years longer than the maximum sentence for third-degree murder.

 

Chauvin, 44, was the white officer seen in a widely circulated video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd gasped for air and repeatedly groaned, "Please, I can't breathe," before growing motionless while bystanders shouted at police to let him up.

 

Floyd, who police suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit bill to pay for cigarettes, was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the fatal encounter on May 25.

 

Three fellow officers dismissed from the Minneapolis police department along with Chauvin the following day were charged on Wednesday for the first time in the case - each with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and with aiding and abetting manslaughter.

 

Those three - Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao - have also been taken into custody.

 

Floyd's death has become the latest flashpoint for long-simmering rage over police brutality against African Americans, propelling the highly charged issue of racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system to the top of the political agenda five months before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3.

 

Scenes of protesters of all races flooding the streets - mostly peaceful but sometimes accompanied by arson, looting and clashes with police - have fueled a sense of crisis but also hopes of change.

 

The mass public activity followed weeks of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced millions of Americans out of work and disproportionately affected minorities.

 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a black former U.S. congressman, has requested that bail be set at $1 million for each of the four former officers, court documents showed.

 

When reached by Reuters over the phone, Earl Gray, the attorney for Lane, said he had not received any information on the charges yet. Attorneys for the other officers who are being charged did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

"This is a significant step forward on the road to justice, and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd's body was laid to rest," Benjamin Crump, attorney for the Floyd family, said in a statement.

 

He later told CNN that Chauvin should be facing a first-degree murder charge, and that Ellison had informed Floyd's family that the investigation is ongoing and other charges could be filed.

 

Protesters who have vented their anger over Floyd's death in major U.S. cities over the past week had demanded the case be widened to include all the officers who were present during the incident.

 

"This is another important step for justice," said U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is from Minnesota and a potential running mate for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election.

 

Tens of thousands of people defied curfews and took to the streets of cities coast to coast for an eighth night in protest over Floyd's death and brutality against other black Americans.

 

Authorities took the unusual step of ordering the curfews, and bands of police in riot gear and other heavily armed officers patrolled, ringing landmarks and shouting at protesters while helicopters roared overhead.

 

The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful with less looting and vandalism overnight and clashes between police and protesters were more sporadic.

 

Republican President Donald Trump has said justice must be done in Floyd's case but also touted a hard line on violent protests, threatening to use the military to end the chaos. Biden has vowed to heal the racial divide in the nation if he is elected.

 

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien, Nathan Layne, Maria Caspani, Rich McKay, Jonathan Allen, Sharon Bernstein, Dan Whitcomb, Lisa Lambert, Susan Heavey, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Writing by Paul Simao; Editing by Howard Goller, Bill Tarrant and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-04

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

Derek Chauvin, arrested Friday on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, 46, was newly charged with an additional, more serious count of second-degree murder, according to court documents filed in the case.

to stop the protests?

 

wonder what the charge would have been if the victim was white

Good to hear all four will be charged. 
 

Though I have concerns that second degree murder can be proved.
 

The cop is undoubtedly a thug whose actions are directly responsible for George Floyds death, but I seriously doubt he intended to kill him. 

Edited June 4, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

1 hour ago, cyril sneer said:

to stop the protests?

 

wonder what the charge would have been if the victim was white

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

The four will get off, I think they have gone for too much with murder 2

I didn't know til recently that George refused to stay in the police car.

They placed him in there and he fought and came out the other side, claiming claustrophobia

That's when they had to wrestle him to the ground and excessive force was used

I don't think you can prove that the office purposely tried to kill him.

Wonder how many times cops have heard a perp saying they can't breathe, then next thing they are running down the street

Only one cop in the history of Minneapolis has ever gone to jail 

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

And I doubt he would be dead if he had been white. 

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

The protests are about racism and police brutality against blacks.

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

Plenty of videos on the internet of white folk being killed more blatantly than that by cops

Just now, stevenl said:

The protests are about racism and police brutality against blacks.

Stats don't back that up

1 hour ago, cyril sneer said:

if the victim was white

Don't be silly. 

4 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

Ahhhh I think that’s the point if Floyd was white it wouldent have happened bottom line imo the dude was cuffed and not a threat no excuses none I’m delighted the cops are beeing held accountable and I hope the killer does serious time the others a year or 2 and convicted felons for life

10 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

No protests and no arrests, I doubt we would have heard about it had Floyd been white.

This post clearly shows you have absolutely no idea what the protests are about.

3 minutes ago, Tug said:

Ahhhh I think that’s the point if Floyd was white it wouldent have happened bottom line imo the dude was cuffed and not a threat no excuses none I’m delighted the cops are beeing held accountable and I hope the killer does serious time the others a year or 2 and convicted felons for life

Now you're just making things up, if Floyd had not resisted he would be alive.

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Now you're just making things up, if Floyd had not resisted he would be alive.

Yes it tends to be the case that if you are polite and co operative with the cops that you will not get stepped on.

27 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Good to hear all four will be charged. 
 

Though I have concerns that second degree murder can be proved.
 

The cop is undoubtedly a thug whose actions are directly responsible for George Floyds death, but I seriously doubt he intended to kill him. 

I think very damaging to their defense is the main perp kept his knee on Floyd's neck for a further 2 minutes when Floyd was unresponsive and the other cops could not feel a pulse. Pretty incriminating demonstration of his intention. Damning for the other cops too when they did nothing to stop the murder.

If i were the head of the Minneapolis law enforcement associations i would call to a resignation en mass to protest the murder charges on 4 police men, you can't have police men punting their lives on the line day and night day in and out dealing with criminals only to be charged with murder, yes they have stepped their enforcement boundaries but murder charge to appease millions of looters and lynch mob this is over kill... 

Edited June 4, 20206 yr by ezzra

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

The protests are about racism and police brutality against blacks.

10 unarmed black people were killed by police in 2019

That's the Washington Post too

See the video below, each case is broke down 

 

 

Edited June 4, 20206 yr by Canuck1966

12 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Now you're just making things up, if Floyd had not resisted he would be alive.

So by that rationale you have the cops in the clear ? 

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

If i were the head of the Minneapolis law enforcement associations i would call to a resignation en mass, you can't have police men punting their lives on the line day in day out only to be charged with murder, yes they have stepped their enforcement boundaries but murder charge to appease millions of looters and lynch mob this is over kill... 

So many masks slowly slipping on this thread to reveal outright racists.

Just now, Bruntoid said:

So many masks slowly slipping on this thread to reveal outright racists.

Place that race card nice and early

4 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

10 unarmed black people were killed by police in 2019

That's the Washington Post too

While in the same year 48 police were killed as a result of felonious activity

 

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2019-statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty

 

23 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Now you're just making things up, if Floyd had not resisted he would be alive.

Well he wasnt resisting for at least 8 minutes. Nearly 3 of which he was non responsive.

1 minute ago, Canuck1966 said:

Place that race card nice and early

The race card always is............then the racist card

What i can never understand is the bringing up of events from 200 years ago i.e slavery.........and black african roots.........if they miss africa that much, why not return there to live?......no one seems to want to.

 

This death while tragic is being used as an excuse for looting and violence by a vast majority........too many these days think they can flout the law without repercussions both in the US , Europe and the the rest of the world.........you only need look at the young generation of today to see where its all heading

 

IMO...............

16 minutes ago, dexterm said:

I think very damaging to their defense is the main perp kept his knee on Floyd's neck for a further 2 minutes when Floyd was unresponsive and the other cops could not feel a pulse. Pretty incriminating demonstration of his intention. Damning for the other cops too when they did nothing to stop the murder.

I agree what he did led to the death of George Floyd and won't shed a tear if he is convicted of second degree murder however, I think it is going to be hard to prove intent to kill.

the police should have called for a police van to take the guy in.  obviously it was too difficult a task to get a 6 foot 6 inch guy into that back seat while at the same time he resisted being put in there.  just wait awhile.  the cop that kneeled on his neck should spend time in jail, probably manslaughter.  not sure a murder charge will hold up, especially for a cop.  the other three will not do any time, maybe they should, but they won't.  we'll see what happens.  probably be more riots after the conclusion of the court case(s).

8 minutes ago, thaiflyer1 said:

While in the same year 48 police were killed as a result of felonious activity

 

https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2019-statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty

 

They when the sign up the job is dangerous. The public should not be in danger from police.

Just now, Bluespunk said:

I agree what he did led to the death of George Floyd and won't shed a tear if he is convicted of second degree murder however, I think it is going to be hard to prove intent to kill.

I don't think he was trying to kill him

The guy was 6 foot 6 and a big unit

Poor technique and excessive force. The other cops should have been checking to make sure he was ok, Chauvin couldn't see his face

He had a camera on him all the time in broad daylight, he obviously didn't believe he was killing him

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

If i were the head of the Minneapolis law enforcement associations i would call to a resignation en mass to protest the murder charges on 4 police men, you can't have police men punting their lives on the line day and night day in and out dealing with criminals only to be charged with murder, yes they have stepped their enforcement boundaries but murder charge to appease millions of looters and lynch mob this is over kill... 

Police above the law. Great.

38 minutes ago, Canuck1966 said:

Stats don't back that up

Go on then, show us the stats.

 

And then I’ll explain them to you.

Just now, Canuck1966 said:

I don't think he was trying to kill him

The guy was 6 foot 6 and a big unit

Poor technique and excessive force. The other cops should have been checking to make sure he was ok, Chauvin couldn't see his face

He had a camera on him all the time in broad daylight, he obviously didn't believe he was killing him

That is what I said regarding intent to kill.

 

chauvin is clearly a thug who should be gaoled for his actions which are directley responsible for George Floyd's death.