Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is reportedly taking further steps in the murder case of George Floyd. Ellison is expected to up the charge against Officer Derek Chauvin to murder in the second degree. Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he audibly said that he could not breathe, which ultimately led to his death on the scene; he was originally arrested on a charge of third-degree murder and manslaughter last week. The Minnesota Star-Tribune reports that Ellison is also expected to charge the three assisting police officers involved in the case, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. All four law enforcement officers were fired after Floyd’s death.
Three other ex-Minneapolis police officers at the scene — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane — will be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, according to sources who spoke on conditions of anonymity. #GeorgeFloyd https://t.co/NTBkdBYFFW
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) June 3, 2020
The attorney for Floyd's family predicted that all officers involved will be arrested by Thursday:
Ben Crump, Floyd Family Attorney: "We expect all of the police officers to be arrested before we have the memorial here in Minneapolis, Minnesota tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/LYIkxYXVts
— The Hill (@thehill) June 3, 2020
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) announced on Tuesday that his administration filed an inquiry into the Minnesota Police Department's policies and procedures to determine if "discriminatory practices" are present:
My administration will use every tool at our disposal to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in Minnesota. This effort is one of many steps to come in our effort to restore trust with communities that have been unseen and unheard for far too long.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) June 2, 2020