MINNEAPOLIS, June 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prosecutors in Minnesota upgraded charges against the US police officer primarily implicated in the
killing of a handcuffed black man, and charged three other officers over the
death, which has ignited nationwide protests.
With a key demand met, demonstrators vowed to press on in the fight against racism, staging protests in cities from New York to Los Angeles after the new charges were announced.
Pressure on Trump mounted as his former Pentagon chief Jim Mattis launched a searing broadside, accusing the Republican leader of trying to “divide” America.
In Minnesota, prosecutors had initially charged 44-year-old Derek Chauvin – – the white officer filmed kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for nearly
nine minutes — with third-degree murder.
But they said Wednesday they were upgrading the charge, roughly akin to
manslaughter, to second-degree murder, which does not involve premeditation but carries stiffer penalties.
“I believe the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge of
second-degree murder,” Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison said.
Chauvin’s three colleagues at the scene of Floyd’s May 25 arrest for
allegedly seeking to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit bill are accused of
being complicit in the killing.
Tou Thao, 34, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Thomas Lane, 37, were charged
with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and taken into custody.
The arrest of all four officers involved has been a focus for tens of
thousands of protesters who have marched the streets of dozens of US cities
for the past nine days, often defying curfews to condemn police brutality and demand racial justice.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the upgraded charges and arrests presented a chance to “come back to the issue at hand… systemic racism and the lack of accountability.”
“This is probably our last shot, as a state and as a nation, to fix this
systemic issue,” he said.
Floyd’s family, in a statement thanking protesters, called the arrests and
new charges a “bittersweet moment” — and a “significant step forward on the road to justice.”
They urged Americans to continue to “raise their voices for change in
peaceful ways.”
Thousands took to the streets in both Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. A large group also protested at the US Capitol.
Curfews remained in place Wednesday in cities including New York, Los
Angeles and Washington, though they were slightly loosened.
Los Angeles and Washington both delayed the start of their curfews by
several hours, compared to previous nights. — NNN-AGENCIES
