Report: Officer Who Knelt On George Floyd’s Neck To Receive Upgraded Murder Charge, 3 Other Officers In Video Will Also Be Charged

TOPLINE

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will receive an upgraded murder charge in George Floyd’s death while three other former officers will charged with aiding and abetting by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, after the four men were seen in the now-viral video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck before he died, sparking a week of sometimes-violent protests across the country.

KEY FACTS

Crucial quotes

“This is another important step for justice,” tweeted Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “Overdue but necessary justice,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said on Twitter. Ben Crump, the Floyd family attorney, called it a “bittersweet moment” and that the family is “deeply gratified” by the new charges.

Key background

The video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck went viral and inspired nationwide outrage, and came amid the coronavirus pandemic and mass unemployment. Frustrations with police brutality against black people boiled over in the form of sometimes-violent protests across the country, in which peaceful demonstrations during the day would in some instances turn into looting and property destruction at night. President Trump has responded first by addressing Floyd’s death during Saturday’s SpaceX launch, then by falling largely silent for days, before emerging on Monday by giving a divisive Rose Garden speech. Proclaiming himself “your law and order president,” Trump threatened to send the U.S. military to states to quell protests under a centuries-old law. He then visited the historic St. John’s Church—for a much-maligned photo op—after protesters had been cleared from the area by police using tear gas. Historians say this level of civil unrest, now entering its ninth day, has not been seen since the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Further reading

Family’s Autopsy Finds George Floyd Died By ‘Homicide Caused By Asphyxia’ (Forbes)

‘Justice For George Floyd’ Petition Becomes Most Popular Ever In U.S. For Change.org (Forbes)

Colin Kaepernick And Other Prominent Athletes Demand Justice For George Floyd (Forbes)

Minneapolis Protests Over George Floyd’s Death Turn Chaotic; National Guard Called (Forbes)

White House Goes Dark As George Floyd Protests Boil Over (Forbes)