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By Josh Campbell, Sara Sidner and Eric Levenson, CNN |
former Minneapolis Police officer who pressed his knee into George
Floyd's neck was charged with second-degree murder and the three other
officers on scene during his killing are charged with aiding and
abetting second-degree murder, according to court documents.
Minnesota
Attorney General Keith Ellison's official announcement of the charges
is expected to come Wednesday afternoon, more than a week after Floyd
was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests that call for the end to police violence against black citizens.
The
three other officers on scene, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander
Kueng, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and
aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin, who had his knee pressed into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Lane and Keung, who helped restrain Floyd, and Thao, who stood near the others, were not initially charged.
Two autopsies on Floyd determined that he died by homicide. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo fired the four officers and said they were "complicit" in Floyd's death. Floyd's family and protesters nationwide have called for them to be arrested and convicted for the killing.
According
to the video and the criminal complaint, Chauvin kept his knee on
Floyd's neck as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe, as witnesses
protested that he was dying, and even as Lane twice asked to turn him
onto his side. Still, Chauvin kept his knee on his neck for almost three
minutes after Floyd became unresponsive, the complaint states.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, said on Twitter that the family was gratified with the new charges.
"FAMILY
REACTION: This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that
(Ellison) took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the
officers involved in #GeorgeFloyd's death & upgrading the charge
against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder," he said.
Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder is defined
as causing the death of a person "by perpetrating an act eminently
dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind," without regard for
life but without intent to kill.
Second-degree murder,
a more serious charge, is defined as when a person causes the death of
another "without intent to effect the death of any person, while
committing or attempting to commit a felony offense," according to an
amended criminal complaint.
A
former Demoratic congressman, Ellison previously said that he had
"every expectation" that charges will be filed against the officers and
that he hoped they'd come soon. But on Monday, after taking over the
case, he cautioned against a rush to judgment and said prosecutors will
be careful and methodical in bringing charges.
"We
are moving as expeditiously, quickly and effectively as we can," he
said. "But I need to protect this prosecution. I am not going to create a
situation where somebody can say this was a rush to judgement."
Police officers are rarely charged with crimes
for violence against black men, and even in those rare cases, juries
have repeatedly shown an unwillingness to convict. The list of such
failed cases is long.
In 2017, for example, the Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Castile was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter and intentional discharge of firearm that endangers safety.
(CNN)The
former Minneapolis Police officer who pressed his knee into George
Floyd's neck was charged with second-degree murder and the three other
officers on scene during his killing are charged with aiding and
abetting second-degree murder, according to court documents.
Minnesota
Attorney General Keith Ellison's official announcement of the charges
is expected to come Wednesday afternoon, more than a week after Floyd
was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests that call for the end to police violence against black citizens.
The
three other officers on scene, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander
Kueng, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and
aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin, who had his knee pressed into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Lane and Keung, who helped restrain Floyd, and Thao, who stood near the others, were not initially charged.
Two autopsies on Floyd determined that he died by homicide. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo fired the four officers and said they were "complicit" in Floyd's death. Floyd's family and protesters nationwide have called for them to be arrested and convicted for the killing.
According
to the video and the criminal complaint, Chauvin kept his knee on
Floyd's neck as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe, as witnesses
protested that he was dying, and even as Lane twice asked to turn him
onto his side. Still, Chauvin kept his knee on his neck for almost three
minutes after Floyd became unresponsive, the complaint states.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, said on Twitter that the family was gratified with the new charges.
"FAMILY
REACTION: This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that
(Ellison) took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the
officers involved in #GeorgeFloyd's death & upgrading the charge
against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder," he said.
Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder is defined
as causing the death of a person "by perpetrating an act eminently
dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind," without regard for
life but without intent to kill.
Second-degree murder,
a more serious charge, is defined as when a person causes the death of
another "without intent to effect the death of any person, while
committing or attempting to commit a felony offense," according to an
amended criminal complaint.
Minnesota AG cautioned for patience
Ellison was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz to take over the case from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman on Sunday.
According
to the video and the criminal complaint, Chauvin kept his knee on
Floyd's neck as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe, as witnesses
protested that he was dying, and even as Lane twice asked to turn him
onto his side. Still, Chauvin kept his knee on his neck for almost three
minutes after Floyd became unresponsive, the complaint states.
Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, said on Twitter that the family was gratified with the new charges.
"FAMILY
REACTION: This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that
(Ellison) took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the
officers involved in #GeorgeFloyd's death & upgrading the charge
against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder," he said.
Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder is defined
as causing the death of a person "by perpetrating an act eminently
dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind," without regard for
life but without intent to kill.
Second-degree murder,
a more serious charge, is defined as when a person causes the death of
another "without intent to effect the death of any person, while
committing or attempting to commit a felony offense," according to an
amended criminal complaint.
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