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Almost two years ago George Floyd was senselessly killed while being detained by former Minneapolis police officers. On Feb. 23, 2022, the jury began deliberating on the civil rights case against three of the ex-cops involved in Floyd’s death.
Derek Chauvin, the former officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for over nine minutes, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter on April 20, 2021.
Ex-cops Thomas Lane, 38, Tou Thao, 36, and Alexander Kueng, 28, attempted to restrain Floyd — and the crowd — as Chauvin knelt on him ultimately resulting in the 47-year-olds death.
Chauvin’s partner at the time was Thao. He was standing nearby keeping the frightened onlookers at bay as rookies Lane and Kueng restrained Floyd’s legs and torso. It was the rookie’s first day on the job.
Police bodycam transcripts show that Floyd said over 20 times that he could not breathe as he was being restrained by the officers. The whole incident began because a store clerk called authorities claiming that Floyd had paid for his purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill.
Roughly eight minutes after calling 911, two of the officers arrived. They discovered Floyd sitting in a parked vehicle with two friends around the corner from the store. For some unnamed reason as Lane approached he pulled out his firearm and ordered Floyd to show his hands.
Prosecutors stated that Lane then “put his hands on Mr. Floyd, and pulled him out of the car.” It was at that point that Floyd “actively resisted being handcuffed,” according to BBC.
The jury is deliberating on whether the three former officers are guilty of deprivation of rights under color of law for failing to give Floyd medical aid.
In closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda Sertich stated, “They chose not to intervene, they chose not to aid Mr. Floyd. This is a crime. The defendants are guilty as charged.”
Floyd’s family, friends, and advocates are waiting to hear what the jury decides.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: Jury is now deliberating in the civil rights case of 3 ex-officers connected to George Floyd’s killing; by Travis Caldwell, Julia Jones, and Omar Jimenez
BBC: George Floyd: What happened in the final moments of his life
Fox News: George Floyd death: Minnesota federal trial jury gets case against 3 ex-Minneapolis cops; by Stephanie Pagones
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Patrick Feller’s Flickr – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Chad Davis’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
