Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Democrat, said Wednesday that former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin will be charged with second-degree murder, and that the three other officers at the scene of George Floyd’s death will also be charged.
Her tweet followed a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune saying that the ex-three officers will face aiding and abetting charges, while Mr. Chauvin’s third-degree murder charge will be increased to second-degree murder.
All four officers were fired shortly after the release of a viral video showing then-Officer Chauvin kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed for nearly nine minutes during a forgery arrest on Memorial Day.
Mr. Floyd, 46, could be seen on the video telling the officers, “I can’t breathe” before he went motionless. Two other officers applied pressure to his back, which contributed to his death, according to an autopsy conducted by doctors for the Floyd family.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner found that Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide, and that he died of cardiopulmonary arrest “complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”
The county report also found that other significant factors included his underlying health conditions — Mr. Floyd suffered from heart disease — and that he exhibited “fentanyl intoxication” and “recent methamphetamine use.”
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Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump discounted the presence of drugs in his system, calling the finding a “red herring” designed to “assassinate George Floyd’s character.”
Mr. Chauvin was also charged Friday with manslaughter by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday placed Mr. Ellison in charge of the case.
Mr. Ellison is expected to hold a press conference Wednesday on the additional charges.
“This is an important step for justice,” Ms. Klobuchar tweeted.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is increasing charges against Derek Chauvin to 2nd degree in George Floyd’s murder and also charging other 3 officers. This is another important step for justice.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) June 3, 2020
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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