Derek Chauvin
Minnesota’s U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced today (Wednesday, June 3), via Twitter that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is upping charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin from 3rd degree murder to 2nd degree murder in connection with the May 25 death of George Floyd.
She also announced that the three other officers involved in Floyd’s death will also face criminal charges, although she did not specify what those charges will be. Specifics on that may be announced later today.
Floyd died after Chauvin knelt with his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes while Floyd called out for help, saying repeatedly that he hurt and that he couldn’t breathe. Videos taken by bystanders, who were shouting at Chauvin to get off of Floyd, show that as Chauvin continued to kneel, apparently shifting at one point to put more of his weight on Floyd’s neck, Floyd’s cries and his struggles to breathe weakened until he went still. During that same time, one of the other officers held Floyd’s legs down and one was pressing on his back. The fourth officer stood nearby watching, moving to block the bystander videoing the assault and threatening to spray mace on another bystander.
All four officers were fired within 24 hours, and Chauvin was arrested later in the week and charged, initially, with 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter.
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 is a more serious charge defined as when a person causes the death of another with intent to effect the death of that person but without premeditation.
— Tammye Nash
