NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 03: Josh Okogie #20 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts against the … [+]
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Officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, but the people of Minnesota aren’t satisfied, according to Timberwolves forward Josh Okogie.
“I think the people, they want everybody to be arrested, all the officers,” Okogie, a second-year forward out of Georgia Tech, said Friday by phone from Minneapolis. “Even watching the video, all of the officers were negligent and none of the officers acted accordingly.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of officers that I’ve known in this area and they definitely didn’t follow protocol. Neither did they handle the situation properly or act in a way that was humane.”
Okogie was among several Timberwolves, including former No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns, who attended a press conference and rally led by former NBA player Stephen Jackson on Friday in Minneapolis.
“My reason for going there and supporting it was obviously I just wanted to join forces with a guy like Stephen Jackson who obviously is mourning at a time like this but also to create awareness of this situation and just kind of be the voice of a lot of people of this city whose voice may be soft-spoken,” Okogie said.
Jackson was close friends with Floyd and considered him a brother. He, too, wants to see all four officers punished for Floyd’s death.
“We’re going to use our platform,” Jackson said at the press conference. “I’m going to use everything I have to get a conviction, to get all these motherf—ers in jail.”
As Floyd was videotaped saying, “Please, I can’t breathe,” Chauvin held his left knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds — 2 minutes, 53 seconds of which occurred after Floyd was non-responsive.
According to reports, there had been 18 complaints against Chauvin during his 19-year career.
As of Friday evening, the other three officers had been fired but not yet charged.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said he anticipated more charges to come, possibly against some of the other three officers.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Freeman said. “We felt it was appropriate to focus on the most dangerous perpetrator. This case has moved with extraordinary speed.”
Floyd’s death on Monday sparked protests and riots across the country, with parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul burning as a result on Thursday night.
“It’s crazy,” Okogie said. “I mean people are definitely speaking up about their frustration, their cry is kind of evident. And there’s a lot of protesting, a. lot of rioting and stuff out here.”
Okogie isn’t sure if the Timberwolves (19-45) will play another game this season, or if they will wear a patch in Floyd’s honor when they play again, but said the team supports the cause going forward.
“They are 100 percent on our side and we have their 100 percent support, anything that we’re doing,” Okogie said. “I know that they’re all for it.”