Derek Chauvin, the police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd, as well as the officers Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, who had been his accomplices, have all been charged with murder amongst other charges. While Chauvin, the main man behind the case, is charged with second degree murder charges, the other three face aiding and abetting murder charges. The announcement came more than a week after Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests calling for ending violence against black citizens.
Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck, as the latter constantly proclaimed that he couldn’t breathe, triggered a nationwide protest against racism. Following this, Chauvin was initially charged with third degree murder charges. But, on Wednesday, the federal court increased it to second degree charges.
The court also announced charges of aiding and abetting murder against officers J Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane.
All four men were fired in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s death, which was filmed by a witness. Kueng, Thao and Lane were not arrested and were reported to have gone to ground.