A Minnesota mayor on Wednesday is calling for criminal charges against the police officer who was seen pinning George Floyd to the ground with his knee in an incident that is spurring street protests and local and federal investigations.

“What I can say with certainty, based on what I saw, is that … the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news conference Wednesday.

Frey declined to say what the officer should be charged with, and said his knowledge is “limited to the video evidence that is there” about Floyd, a black man. He said he made his opinion known to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose office would be in position to file state charges.

“George Floyd deserves justice. His family deserves justice. The black community deserves justice, and our city deserves justice,” Frey said.

No charges have been filed in the case.

The four police officers involved in the incident with Floyd were fired Tuesday, Minneapolis police said. That includes Officer Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video restraining Floyd with his knee, Chauvin’s attorney Tom Kelly said.

Kelly said he wouldn’t yet release a statement on Chauvin’s behalf.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo declined to discuss Floyd’s death on Wednesday but said the actions of the former police officers “in no way reflect the values, and the vision and the culture” he wants to change in the police department.

Officers should be charged with murder, family says

Floyd worked security at Conga Latin Bistro in Minneapolis for five years, according to its owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

The 46-year-old Houston native moved to Minneapolis for work and to drive trucks, his friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson said.

Members of Floyd’s family remembered him as a man who wouldn’t “hurt anybody.” The family wants the four officers charged with murder.

“They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn’t see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him,” Tera Brown, Floyd’s cousin, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday.

Protesters return to streets after Floyd’s death

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday for a second day near a police precinct, calling for justice over Floyd’s death.

Arradondo, the police chief, urged people to be respectful while protesting and condemned any type of destructive behavior. Most people, he said, have been peacefully protesting but there have been a few incidents.

An attorney representing Floyd’s family, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement Wednesday that he and Floyd’s relatives are calling for peaceful protests and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic,” the statement said. “We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.”

Crowds took the streets on Tuesday chanting “No justice, no peace” and “I can’t breathe,” which were some of the last words Floyd uttered Monday in the bystander video.

“We’re here to let them know this can’t be tolerated, there will be severe consequences if they continue to kill us. This will not go on another day,” a protester told CNN affiliate WCCO.

Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd Tuesday after some protesters turned unruly, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder told CNN.

‘I can’t breathe’

Floyd was arrested Monday evening after officers responded to a call about an alleged forgery in progress.

The officers were told the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car, Minneapolis police say, and found Floyd inside a car when they arrived.

Police said he “physically resisted” after he got out of the vehicle. Officers handcuffed Floyd, who police said “appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

Video from bystanders shows Floyd handcuffed and Chauvin with his knee pressed against the neck of the 46-year-old. Two officers handled the man on the ground while another stood nearby with his eyes on the bystanders as traffic passed.

“Please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd says. “… My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.”

At one point the Floyd said, “Give me some water or something. Please. Please.”

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby restaurant showed the first point of contact police had with the man. An officer escorts Floyd handcuffed out of a car and Floyd sits on the sidewalk. Moments later, the officer and another escort Floyd away, still with his hands behind his back.

Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital shortly afterwards. A finding on the cause and manner of Floyd’s death is pending and it is being investigated by local, state and federal law enforcement, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

In a statement on Tuesday, police said additional information had “been made available” and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had joined the investigation.

The FBI Minneapolis Division has said the federal investigation into Floyd’s death will focus on whether the police officers “willfully deprived (Floyd) of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Officers’ attorneys had represented other Minnesota officers in high-profile deaths

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said Tuesday the four officers were cooperating in an investigation and urged “now is not the time to rush to (judgment)” while the officers’ actions are examined.

At least three of the fired officers are being represented by attorneys who previously represented other police officers involved in high-profile killings in Minnesota.

Chauvin’s attorney, Kelly, represented then-St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in July 2016. A jury found Yanez not guilty of manslaughter; Castile’s family and his girlfriend reached settlements with various cities.

Attorneys Earl Gray and Thomas Plunkett also are representing officers involved in Monday’s incident — but they are not naming their clients.

Gray, like Kelly, had represented Yanez.

Plunkett was involved in the defense of Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor, who was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk while responding to her 911 call in July 2017.

Floyd’s death ‘it’s like déjà vu’

Monday’s incident is forcing Gwen Carr to relive the death of her son Eric Garner, who also uttered the words “I can’t breathe” while in a New York officer’s chokehold.

“It’s hard enough we’re coming up on the anniversary of my son’s death, and now to hear about this young man, it’s like déjà vu,” Carr told CNN. “It’s just like the murder of my son all over again. He was basically the same age as Eric.”

The officer who choked Garner in 2014 never faced charges. He was fired in 2019 after being found guilty in a disciplinary trial of using a chokehold on Garner and later sued the city over his termination.

NBA superstar LeBron James, Cleveland Browns player Odell Beckham Jr. and other athletes have voiced their outrage over Floyd’s death.

By Omar Jimenez, Nicole Chavez, and Jason Hanna, CNN

Minneapolis, Minnesota (CNN) (05/28/20)— Hundreds remained on the streets of Minneapolis late Wednesday night protesting the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after pleading for help as a police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck.

The demonstrations, which began Wednesday, were initially peaceful but turned “extremely dangerous,” according to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“The situation near Lake Street and Hiawatha in Minneapolis has evolved into an extremely dangerous situation,” Walz said on Twitter. “For everyone’s safety, please leave the area and allow firefighters and paramedics to get to the scene.”

Police officers created a barrier outside the police precinct that protesters started targeting, smashing its windows by throwing items, including water bottles. Authorities responded by shooting tear gas.

Across the street from the precinct, the fire department was responding to an AutoZone store in flames, according to a CNN team on the ground.

Groups of demonstrators looted and damaged stores in the surrounding areas, according to CNN’s observations.

An attorney representing Floyd’s family, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement Wednesday that he and Floyd’s relatives are calling for peaceful protests and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

“We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic,” the statement said. “We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday called for criminal charges against the police officer who was seen pinning Floyd to the ground with his knee in an incident that is spurring street protests and local and federal investigations.

“What I can say with certainty, based on what I saw, is that … the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged,” Frey said in a news conference on Wednesday.

Frey declined to say what the officer should be charged with, and said his knowledge is “limited to the video evidence that is there” about Floyd. He said he made his opinion known to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose office would be in position to file state charges.

“George Floyd deserves justice. His family deserves justice. The black community deserves justice, and our city deserves justice,” Frey said. No charges have been filed in the case.

The four police officers involved in the incident with Floyd were fired Tuesday, Minneapolis police said. That includes Officer Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video restraining Floyd with his knee, Chauvin’s attorney Tom Kelly said.

Kelly said he wouldn’t yet release a statement on Chauvin’s behalf.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo declined to discuss Floyd’s death on Wednesday but said the actions of the former police officers “in no way reflect the values, and the vision and the culture” he wants to change in the police department.

Floyd worked security at Conga Latin Bistro in Minneapolis for five years, according to its owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

The 46-year-old Houston native moved to Minneapolis for work and to drive trucks, his friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson said.

Members of Floyd’s family remembered him as a man who wouldn’t “hurt anybody.” The family wants the four officers charged with murder.

“They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn’t see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him,” Tera Brown, Floyd’s cousin, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday.

Floyd was arrested Monday evening after officers responded to a call about an alleged forgery in progress.

The officers were told the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car, Minneapolis police say, and found Floyd inside a car when they arrived.

Police said he “physically resisted” after he got out of the vehicle. Officers handcuffed Floyd, who police said “appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

Video from bystanders shows Floyd handcuffed and Chauvin with his knee pressed against the neck of the 46-year-old.

Two officers handled the man on the ground while another stood nearby with his eyes on the bystanders as traffic passed.

“Please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd says. “… My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.” At one point the Floyd said, “Give me some water or something. Please. Please.”

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby restaurant showed the first point of contact police had with the man.

An officer escorts Floyd handcuffed out of a car and Floyd sits on the sidewalk. Moments later, the officer and another escort Floyd away, still with his hands behind his back.

Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital shortly afterwards. A finding on the cause and manner of Floyd’s death is pending and it is being investigated by local, state, and federal law enforcement, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

In a statement on Tuesday, police said additional information had “been made available” and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had joined the investigation.

The FBI Minneapolis Division has said the federal investigation into Floyd’s death will focus on whether the police officers “willfully deprived (Floyd) of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said Tuesday the four officers were cooperating in the investigation and urged “now is not the time to rush to (judgment)” while the officers’ actions are examined.

At least three of the fired officers are being represented by attorneys who previously represented other police officers involved in high-profile killings in Minnesota.

Chauvin’s attorney, Kelly, represented then-St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in July 2016.

A jury found Yanez not guilty of manslaughter; Castile’s family and his girlfriend reached settlements with various cities. Gray, like Kelly, had represented Yanez.

Plunkett was involved in the defense of Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor, who was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk while responding to her 911 call in July 2017.

Monday’s incident is forcing Gwen Carr to relive the death of her son Eric Garner, who also uttered the words “I can’t breathe” while in a New York officer’s chokehold.

“It’s hard enough we’re coming up on the anniversary of my son’s death, and now to hear about this young man, it’s like déjà vu,” Carr told CNN. “It’s just like the murder of my son all over again. He was basically the same age as Eric.”

The officer who choked Garner in 2014 never faced charges. He was fired in 2019 after being found guilty in a disciplinary trial of using a chokehold on Garner and later sued the city over his termination.

NBA superstar LeBron James, Cleveland Browns player Odell Beckham Jr., and other athletes have voiced their outrage over Floyd’s death.

Stay up to date with the latest news by downloading the KTVE/KARD News App from the App Store or Google Play.

By Omar Jimenez, Nicole Chavez and Jason Hanna, CNN

(CNN) — A Minnesota mayor on Wednesday is calling for criminal charges against the police officer who was seen pinning George Floyd to the ground with his knee in an incident that is spurring street protests and local and federal investigations.

“What I can say with certainty, based on what I saw, is that … the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news conference Wednesday.

Frey declined to say what the officer should be charged with, and said his knowledge is “limited to the video evidence that is there” about Floyd, a black man. He said he made his opinion known to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose office would be in position to file state charges.

“George Floyd deserves justice. His family deserves justice. The black community deserves justice, and our city deserves justice,” Frey said.

No charges have been filed in the case.

The four police officers involved in the incident with Floyd were fired Tuesday, Minneapolis police said. That includes Officer Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video restraining Floyd with his knee, Chauvin’s attorney Tom Kelly said.

Kelly said he wouldn’t yet release a statement on Chauvin’s behalf.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo declined to discuss Floyd’s death on Wednesday but said the actions of the former police officers “in no way reflect the values, and the vision and the culture” he wants to change in the police department.

Officers should be charged with murder, family says

Floyd worked security at Conga Latin Bistro in Minneapolis for five years, according to its owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

The 46-year-old Houston native moved to Minneapolis for work and to drive trucks, his friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson said.

Members of Floyd’s family remembered him as a man who wouldn’t “hurt anybody.” The family wants the four officers charged with murder.

“They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn’t see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him,” Tera Brown, Floyd’s cousin, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday.

Protesters return to streets after Floyd’s death

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday for a second day near a police precinct, calling for justice over Floyd’s death.

Arradondo, the police chief, urged people to be respectful while protesting and condemned any type of destructive behavior. Most people, he said, have been peacefully protesting but there have been a few incidents.

An attorney representing Floyd’s family, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement Wednesday that he and Floyd’s relatives are calling for peaceful protests and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic,” the statement said. “We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.”

Crowds took the streets on Tuesday chanting “No justice, no peace” and “I can’t breathe,” which were some of the last words Floyd uttered Monday in the bystander video.

“We’re here to let them know this can’t be tolerated, there will be severe consequences if they continue to kill us. This will not go on another day,” a protester told CNN affiliate WCCO.

Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd Tuesday after some protesters turned unruly, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder told CNN.

‘I can’t breathe’

Floyd was arrested Monday evening after officers responded to a call about an alleged forgery in progress.

The officers were told the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car, Minneapolis police say, and found Floyd inside a car when they arrived.

Police said he “physically resisted” after he got out of the vehicle. Officers handcuffed Floyd, who police said “appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

Video from bystanders shows Floyd handcuffed and Chauvin with his knee pressed against the neck of the 46-year-old. Two officers handled the man on the ground while another stood nearby with his eyes on the bystanders as traffic passed.

“Please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd says. “… My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.”

At one point the Floyd said, “Give me some water or something. Please. Please.”

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby restaurant showed the first point of contact police had with the man. An officer escorts Floyd handcuffed out of a car and Floyd sits on the sidewalk. Moments later, the officer and another escort Floyd away, still with his hands behind his back.

Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital shortly afterwards. A finding on the cause and manner of Floyd’s death is pending and it is being investigated by local, state and federal law enforcement, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

In a statement on Tuesday, police said additional information had “been made available” and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had joined the investigation.

The FBI Minneapolis Division has said the federal investigation into Floyd’s death will focus on whether the police officers “willfully deprived (Floyd) of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Officers’ attorneys had represented other Minnesota officers in high-profile deaths

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said Tuesday the four officers were cooperating in an investigation and urged “now is not the time to rush to (judgment)” while the officers’ actions are examined.

At least three of the fired officers are being represented by attorneys who previously represented other police officers involved in high-profile killings in Minnesota.

Chauvin’s attorney, Kelly, represented then-St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in July 2016. A jury found Yanez not guilty of manslaughter; Castile’s family and his girlfriend reached settlements with various cities.

Attorneys Earl Gray and Thomas Plunkett also are representing officers involved in Monday’s incident — but they are not naming their clients.

Gray, like Kelly, had represented Yanez.

Plunkett was involved in the defense of Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor, who was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk while responding to her 911 call in July 2017.

Floyd’s death ‘it’s like déjà vu’

Monday’s incident is forcing Gwen Carr to relive the death of her son Eric Garner, who also uttered the words “I can’t breathe” while in a New York officer’s chokehold.

“It’s hard enough we’re coming up on the anniversary of my son’s death, and now to hear about this young man, it’s like déjà vu,” Carr told CNN. “It’s just like the murder of my son all over again. He was basically the same age as Eric.”

The officer who choked Garner in 2014 never faced charges. He was fired in 2019 after being found guilty in a disciplinary trial of using a chokehold on Garner and later sued the city over his termination.

NBA superstar LeBron James, Cleveland Browns player Odell Beckham Jr. and other athletes have voiced their outrage over Floyd’s death.

The-CNN-Wire & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

(CNN) — A Minnesota mayor on Wednesday is calling for criminal charges against the police officer who was seen pinning George Floyd to the ground with his knee in an incident that is spurring street protests and local and federal investigations.

“What I can say with certainty, based on what I saw, is that … the officer who had his knee on the neck of George Floyd should be charged,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news conference Wednesday.

Frey declined to say what the officer should be charged with, and said his knowledge is “limited to the video evidence that is there” about Floyd, a black man. He said he made his opinion known to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, whose office would be in position to file state charges.

“George Floyd deserves justice. His family deserves justice. The black community deserves justice, and our city deserves justice,” Frey said.

No charges have been filed in the case.

The four police officers involved in the incident with Floyd were fired Tuesday, Minneapolis police said. That includes Officer Derek Chauvin, the officer seen on video restraining Floyd with his knee, Chauvin’s attorney Tom Kelly said.

Kelly said he wouldn’t yet release a statement on Chauvin’s behalf.

Officers should be charged with murder, family says

Floyd worked security at Conga Latin Bistro in Minneapolis for five years, according to its owner, Jovanni Thunstrom.

The 46-year-old Houston native moved to Minneapolis for work and to drive trucks, his friend and former NBA player, Stephen Jackson said.

Members of Floyd’s family remembered him as a man who wouldn’t “hurt anybody.” The family wants the four officers charged with murder.

“They were supposed to be there to serve and to protect and I didn’t see a single one of them lift a finger to do anything to help while he was begging for his life. Not one of them tried to do anything to help him,” Tera Brown, Floyd’s cousin, told CNN’s Don Lemon on Tuesday.

Protesters return to streets after Floyd’s death

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday for a second day near a police precinct, calling for justice over Floyd’s death.

An attorney representing Floyd’s family, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement Wednesday that he and Floyd’s relatives are calling for peaceful protests and social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We cannot sink to the level of our oppressors, and we must not endanger others during this pandemic,” the statement said. “We will demand and ultimately force lasting change by shining a light on treatment that is horrific and unacceptable and by winning justice.”

Crowds took the streets on Tuesday chanting “No justice, no peace” and “I can’t breathe,” which were some of the last words Floyd uttered Monday in the bystander video.

“We’re here to let them know this can’t be tolerated, there will be severe consequences if they continue to kill us. This will not go on another day,” a protester told CNN affiliate WCCO.

Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd Tuesday after some protesters turned unruly, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder told CNN.

‘I can’t breathe’

Floyd was arrested Monday evening after officers responded to a call about an alleged forgery in progress.

The officers were told the suspect was sitting on top of a blue car, Minneapolis police say, and found Floyd inside a car when they arrived.

Police said he “physically resisted” after he got out of the vehicle. Officers handcuffed Floyd, who police said “appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

Video from bystanders shows Floyd handcuffed and Chauvin with his knee pressed against the neck of the 46-year-old. Two officers handled the man on the ground while another stood nearby with his eyes on the bystanders as traffic passed.

“Please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd says. “… My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts.”

At one point the Floyd said, “Give me some water or something. Please. Please.”

Surveillance video obtained from a nearby restaurant showed the first point of contact police had with the man. An officer escorts Floyd handcuffed out of a car and Floyd sits on the sidewalk. Moments later, the officer and another escort Floyd away, still with his hands behind his back.

Floyd was declared dead at a nearby hospital shortly afterwards. A finding on the cause and manner of Floyd’s death is pending and it is being investigated by local, state and federal law enforcement, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

In a statement on Tuesday, police said additional information had “been made available” and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had joined the investigation.

The FBI Minneapolis Division has said the federal investigation into Floyd’s death will focus on whether the police officers “willfully deprived (Floyd) of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Officers’ attorneys had represented other Minnesota officers in high-profile deaths

The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis said Tuesday the four officers were cooperating in an investigation and urged “now is not the time to rush to (judgment)” while the officers’ actions are examined.

At least three of the fired officers are being represented by attorneys who previously represented other police officers involved in high-profile killings in Minnesota.

Chauvin’s attorney, Kelly, represented then-St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in July 2016. A jury found Yanez not guilty of manslaughter; Castile’s family and his girlfriend reached settlements with various cities.

Attorneys Earl Gray and Thomas Plunkett also are representing officers involved in Monday’s incident — but they are not naming their clients.

Gray, like Kelly, had represented Yanez.

Plunkett was involved in the defense of Minneapolis police Officer Mohamed Noor, who was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk while responding to her 911 call in July 2017.

Floyd’s death ‘it’s like déjà vu’

Monday’s incident is forcing Gwen Carr to relive the death of her son Eric Garner, who also uttered the words “I can’t breathe” while in a New York officer’s chokehold.

“It’s hard enough we’re coming up on the anniversary of my son’s death, and now to hear about this young man, it’s like déjà vu,” Carr told CNN. “It’s just like the murder of my son all over again. He was basically the same age as Eric.”

The officer who choked Garner in 2014 never faced charges. He was fired in 2019 after being found guilty in a disciplinary trial of using a chokehold on Garner and later sued the city over his termination.

NBA superstar LeBron James, Cleveland Browns player Odell Beckham Jr. and other athletes have voiced their outrage over Floyd’s death.

CNN’s Christina Maxouris, Melissa Alonso, Josh Campbell, Mirna Alsharif and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.

The NCAA enforcement staff said Kansas’ basketball program committed “egregious” and “severe” rules violations that “significantly undermine and threaten the NCAA Collegiate Model,” and alleged that Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend “embraced, welcomed and encouraged” Adidas employees and consultants to influence high-profile recruits to sign with Kansas.

That was the NCAA enforcement staff’s position in its 92-page reply to Kansas, which the university released on Thursday. The Jayhawks are charged with five Level I rules violations, the most serious, including lack of institutional control. Self is charged with head coach responsibility violations.

Under NCAA rules, a head coach could be hit with a show-cause order and be suspended up to an entire season for Level I violations.

Kansas is also charged with two Level II violations and one Level III violation related to the football program under coach David Beaty.

Because of the complexity and severity of the allegations, and Kansas’ position regarding Adidas’ role, the case might be processed through the Independent Accountability Resolutions Process (IARP). An Independent Resolution Panel (IRP), consisting of five independent members with legal, higher education and/or sports backgrounds, would hear the case and decide what penalties the Jayhawks would face. The IRP’s decision is final and there are no appeals.

“While the football allegations involve alleged Level II and III violations, which are serious alleged violations, there can be no doubt the men’s basketball allegations are egregious, severe and are the kind that significantly undermine and threaten the NCAA Collegiate Model,” the NCAA enforcement staff wrote in its reply. “The institution secured significant recruiting and competitive advantages by committing alleged Level I men’s basketball violations. The institution, in taking its defiant posture in the case, is indifferent to how its alleged violations may have adversely impacted other NCAA institutions who acted in compliance with NCAA legislation.”

Kansas officials, along with Self and Townsend, are disputing each of the five Level I violations regarding the men’s basketball program, as well as each of the nine aggravating factors cited by the NCAA.

“The NCAA enforcement staff’s reply does not in any way change the University of Kansas’ position that the allegations brought against our men’s basketball program are simply baseless and littered with false representations,” Kansas officials wrote in a statement on Thursday. “As the federal trial proved, Adidas employees intentionally concealed impermissible payments from the University and its coaching staff. The University has never denied these impermissible payments were made. For the NCAA enforcement staff to allege that the University should be held responsible for these payments is a distortion of the facts and a gross misapplication of NCAA Bylaws and case precedent.

“In addition, the enforcement staff’s assertion that KU refuses to accept responsibility is wrong. The University absolutely would accept responsibility if it believed that violations had occurred, as we have demonstrated with other self-reported infractions. Chancellor [Doug] Girod, [athletic director] Jeff Long and KU stand firmly behind Coach Self, his staff and our men’s basketball program, as well as our robust compliance program.”

Adidas and its employees and consultants were at the center of a federal investigation into bribes and other corruption in college basketball. The Jayhawks are the company’s flagship program and signed a 14-year, $196 million apparel and sponsorship extension in April 2019.

During a federal trial in October 2018, Adidas executive James Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and aspiring business manager Christian Dawkins were found guilty on felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are appealing their convictions.

In September 2019, former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola was sentenced to probation and fined for his role in pay-for-play schemes to steer recruits to Kansas and other Adidas-sponsored programs.

Gatto was accused of working with Gassnola to facilitate $90,000 from Adidas to former Jayhawks recruit Billy Preston’s mother and agreeing to pay $20,000 to Fenny Falmagne, current Kansas player Silvio De Sousa’s guardian, to help him “get out from under” a pay-for-play scheme to attend Maryland, which is sponsored by Under Armour.

The NCAA also included allegations that Gassnola provided $15,000 to an unidentified individual to give to the mother of recruit Deandre Ayton, who signed with Arizona, and that Gassnola “communicated in a text message to Self that he had let Self down” when Ayton signed with the Wildcats.

“Regarding the men’s basketball allegations, very few facts are in dispute,” the NCAA reply said. “The institution does not dispute that Adidas and its employee and consultant provided at least $100,000 to families of three men’s basketball student-athletes the institution was recruiting. Bill Self (Self), head men’s basketball coach, and Kurtis Townsend (Townsend), assistant men’s basketball coach, also do not dispute many of the facts related to Adidas and its representatives having contact with prospects, and that they regularly communicated with Adidas representatives about their recruitment of prospects.

“However, where the parties diverge from the NCAA enforcement staff is on the key issue of responsibility for this conduct. They assert that Adidas and four of its employees or consultants are not representatives of the institution’s athletics interests, arguing the enforcement staff’s analysis is novel, unprecedented and never previously contemplated by the NCAA membership.”

The NCAA enforcement staff contends NCAA membership “feared shoe apparel company involvement and influence in the recruitment of elite student-athletes and then put safeguards into place in an attempt to prevent what occurred in this case.”

“The institution failed to control and monitor the relationship between Adidas’ representatives with its storied men’s basketball program,” the NCAA reply said. “This failure led to TJ Gassnola (Gassnola), a convicted criminal and then Adidas outside counsel, having unfiltered access to the men’s basketball program and allowed for Gassnola and Adidas to profoundly influence the institution’s recruitment of elite men’s basketball student-athletes.

“In fact, Self and Townsend embraced, welcomed and encouraged Gassnola and Adidas’ other representatives’ impermissible involvement. When boosters commit violations, the membership has clearly spoken through its legislative authority and infractions case precedent that the institutions should be held responsible.”

An unusual scandal has hit the football world. The United States Justice Department recently charged several former NFL players for attempting to defraud the league through its healthcare program. One of the more prominent players involved in the scandal was former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis.

Several former players are facing major consequences for their parts in the alleged scheme. Portis is the most famous of the bunch, but fans may recognize others implicated, too. Let’s take a closer look at who’s involved, the charges, and Portis’s reaction. 

The NFL players involved in the scandal 

Portis began his career with the Denver Broncos but played most of it with the Washington Redskins. The running back finished his career with 75 touchdowns and nearly 10,000 rushing yards.

While Portis is a tossup for Hall of Fame honors, he was certainly a great player for a significant stretch of his NFL career. The following former players have also been named in the charges:

• Carlos Rogers
• Robert McCune
• John Eubanks
• Tamarick Vanover
• Ceandris Brown
• James Butler
• Frederick Bennett
• Correll Buckhalter
• Joe Horn
• Reche Caldwell
• Etric Pruitt

While some of these retired players are more famous than others, they were all named in the scandal by news outlets like NBC Sports Washington. But what, specifically, are the charges? 

The fraud charges against Clinton Portis and others

NBC Sports Washington reported that the Justice Department charged 10 players with defrauding the NFL’s retired player healthcare program: 

“The news broke Thursday morning when the Eastern District of Kentucky alleged that the retired players submitted fraudulent claims for medical equipment costing between $40,000-50,000 to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan.”

The indictment said the NFL players in question filed the fraudulent claims from June 2017 through December 2018. The claims were for $3.9 million and the plan distributed $3.4 million in funds to the players. 

The reason this scandal is so serious? It goes beyond rumor and hearsay; it involves a federal crime, which comes with costly penalties including heavy fines and potential jail time. So what did Portis have to say in his defense to such a serious accusation?  

Clinton Portis’ reaction to the fraud charges against him

Clinton Portis attorney, Mark Dycio, says the former running back is innocent. Via @jjouvenal: “Clinton Portis had no knowledge that his participation in what he believed to be an NFL sanctioned medical reimbursement program was illegal.”

— Rick Maese (@RickMaese) December 12, 2019

Portis had two reactions: one from his attorney and the other directly from him. His lawyer, Mark Dycio, released this statement via the Washington Post: 

“Clinton Portis had no knowledge that his participation in what he believed to be an NFL sanctioned medical reimbursement program was illegal. He is completely taken aback by this indictment and will move forward with the process of clearing his good name and those of his fellow NFL alumni.”

Portis regularly appears on local Washington, D.C. media outlets to discuss the Redskins.

In a recent appearance on D.C.’s top sports radio station, 106.7 the Fan, he defended himself, claiming the charges were simply untrue: “I honestly don’t have anything to say. I just would hope that people that’s familiar with me … would know better. It’s some stuff that you see and you know exactly what it is.”

Portis also used a term commonly thrown around by both media outlets and President Trump, referring to the charges as “fake news.” The federal government clearly doesn’t agree. It’ll be interesting to see how the case plays out. 

A former NFL player for the Cleveland Browns was arrested on suspicion of burglary when a neighbor called the police on him while he was house hunting for his mother-in-law.

Kellen Winslow Jr., 34, played as a tight end for the Cleveland Browns and other teams, yet his impressive resume meant nothing when he was arrested Thursday afternoon in the northern San Diego County.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, a neighbor called police in the afternoon and reported “a black male adult had walked into a neighbor’s residence,” and that person confronted the man because they “did not recognize him as being the resident who lived there,” reported NBC News.

After the woman confronted Winslow, the ex-NFL star drove away and was stopped by deputies at a different location.

Representatives for Winslow have denied all allegations and said Winslow was home shopping for his mother-in-law.

Denise White of EAG Sport Management told NBC News Winslow never went inside, and “the residence in question belongs to friends who attend church with his wife.”  

“An over reactive neighbor called police after she saw Kellen walking around a mobile home,” White said in an email to NBC news on Saturday. “The owner said he never went inside the home or took anything, or nor was anything taken, touched or moved.”

Winslow’s attorney, Harvey A. Steinberg, said in a statement to NBC that his client “emphatically denies committing any burglary. He would have no need to burglarize or steal anything from anyone at a trailer park.”

“He looks forward to being vindicated once this matter is fully investigated and adjudicated through the court system,” Steinberg said in a statement.

Winslow spent five hours in a North County jail before posting a $50,000 bail early Friday morning, NBC San Diego reported.

Winslow Jr. was drafted sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 NFL Draft. Winslow Jr., who played tight end like his father, played for the Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and New York Jets before his career ended in 2013.