George Floyd: Officers Face New Charges

Four former police officers implicated in the death of an African American man are facing new charges.

On 25 May, George Floyd – a 46-year-old restaurant worker from Minneapolis, Minnesota – was pinned to the ground by three police officers, while a fourth officer named Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes.

Pleading that he was unable to breathe, Floyd fell unconscious and was later declared dead at a local hospital.

The officers were fired, with Chauvin initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

On Wednesday, 3 June, Minnesota’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, announced that Chauvin’s charged has been elevated to second-degree murder.

Additionally, the other former officers – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – will now face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Floyd family lawyer, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement: “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.”

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