Upgraded charges were announced against now former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Wednesday by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for the death of George Floyd. The three other officers that were at the scene are also going to face charges.
According to Fox News:
Minnesota's Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday said charges against Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, have been upgraded to second-degree murder and arrest warrants have been issued for the three other officers at the scene.
Chauvin previously had been charged with third-degree murder. The other three officers involved – Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng, and Tou Thao – were being charged with two counts of aiding and abetting and second-degree murder.
If convicted on both counts, the officers face a maximum of sentence of 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
Floyd died while in police custody on May 25, Memorial Day. Video showed Chauvin kneeling on the neck of Floyd, while Floyd cried out, “I can’t breathe.”
In a press conference conducted earlier on Wednesday, Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said that he and the family are “confident” that justice will be done for George Floyd’s death.
“Change is going to come in the criminal justice system. I proclaim, with his son as my witness, that change starts today,” Crump said. “We are confident Attorney General Keith Ellison is working feverishly to do the right thing to make sure George Floyd’s family achieves justice, holding the officers accountable to the full extent of the law - each and every one of them.”
For video of Ellison's announcement, watch below: