Minnesota Murder Charges Upgraded for Officer in Death of Floyd
(Bloomberg) -- The murder charge against Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police department officer who was recorded kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed George Floyd for more than eight minutes, was elevated to a second-degree crime.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who announced the upgrade on Wednesday, also charged three additional police officers at the scene of Floyd's death. J.A. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thoa were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
One of the former officers is in custody and the other two are expected to be taken in later Wednesday afternoon, said Drew Evans, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent.
A May 29 charging document asserted third-degree murder charges against Chauvin. Ellison filed an amended complaint Wednesday charging him instead with second-degree murder.
Ellison said he didn't revise the charges due to the outrage that has followed Floyd's death. “I did not allow public pressure to impact our decision-making process,” the attorney general said. “I strongly believe that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community, and our state.”
“Trying this case will not be an easy thing,” given the difficulty of convicting a police officer of murder, he said. “History does show that there are clear challenges here and we're going to be working very hard. “
“George Floyd mattered,” Ellison said. “He was loved. His family was important. His life had value. We will seek justice for him, for you.”
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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