MINNEAPOLIS — The three former Minneapolis police officers involved in the George Floyd case will face felony aiding and abetting charges.
Attorney General Keith Ellison said he is also upgrading the charge against former officer Derek Chauvin to second-degree murder. Ellison said he is confident he can prove those charges in a court of law.
Chauvin had been charged with third-degree murder. Ellison said second-degree murder in Minnesota means that a suspect intended to kill the victim.
The other officers being charged are Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao. Lane and Kueng both helped Chauvin restrain Floyd. Thao kept the crowd back as they pleaded with officers to loosen their restraints so Floyd could breathe.
Ellison said he sees no reason the former officers will not be able to get a fair trial in Minneapolis.
The attorney for the family of George Floyd is happy four former police officers are facing more severe charges. On Twitter, Benjamin Crump described the family’s reaction to the upgraded charges as a “bittersweet moment.”
The full autopsy for George Floyd shows he was diagnosed with coronavirus. He tested positive for the respiratory illness back in April, but it wasn’t listed as a factor in his death last week. An independent medical examiner determined that Floyd died of asphyxiation and not of an underlying medical condition, which was the original determination by the coroner.
