A federal grand jury has indicted four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest and death last year and said they violated Floyd’s constitutional rights when he was restrained face-down, according to indictments that were unsealed Friday.
Chauvin was convicted last month on charges of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death and is awaiting sentencing in a Minnesota maximum security prison.
The new federal charges come in addition to the state’s cases, which means that all four could face new trials in federal court. Thao, Keung, and Lane face trial on the state charges in August and they are free on bond.
Floyd, 46, died May 25 after Chauvin pinned him to the ground before it was uploaded to social media, where it went viral in late May 2020, sparking nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and riots—as well as left-wing calls to “defund the police.”
Kueng and Lane also helped restrain Floyd, and state prosecutors have asserted that Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down Floyd’s legs. State prosecutors also said that Thao held back bystanders and kept them from intervening during over nine minutes of restraint.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, argued during his murder trial that Chauvin acted reasonably in the situation and that Floyd died because of underlying health issues and drug use. He has filed a request for a new trial, citing many issues including the judge’s refusal to move the trial due to publicity.
A four-page document filed by Nelson earlier this week contends that Chauvin’s constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial were violated. He cited alleged errors made by the prosecution and judge—as well as juror misconduct, witness intimidation, and the impact of publicity.
“I’d never been to D.C.,” he told The Associated Press of attending the event. “The opportunity to go to D.C., the opportunity to be around thousands and thousands of black people; I just thought it was a good opportunity to be a part of something.”
At the event, speakers included Floyd’s family members and family members for Breonna Taylor and Eric Garner.
Mitchell said that he responded “no” to questions sent to prospective jurors that pertained to protests. The first question asked: “Did you, or someone close to you, participate in any of the demonstrations or marches against police brutality that took place in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death?” And the second question asked: “Other than what you have already described above, have you, or anyone close to you, participated in protests about police use of force or police brutality?”
The Epoch Times has contacted Nelson for comment.
