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Attorney says accused officer in George Floyd’s death ‘did not commit a crime’

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 17:07:20 +0000

AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP via Getty ImagesBy JON HAWORTH, EMILY SHAPIRO, MEREDITH DELISO and MARC NATHANSON, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The death of George Floyd, a black man who died on Memorial Day after he was pinned down by a white Minnesota police officer, has sparked outrage, protests and calls for police reform in Minneapolis, across the United States and around the world.

Second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter charges have been filed against Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer who prosecutors say held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting manslaughter. All four officers have been fired.

Here is how the news unfolded on Monday. All times Eastern:

9:44 p.m.: Los Angeles will not prosecute peaceful curfew breakers

Demonstrators in Los Angeles who broke curfew during recent protests will not be prosecuted, officials said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that curfew violators and those who failed to disperse when ordered by police will not be prosecuted, and City of Los Angeles officials likewise said they will not prosecute those who were arrested “for nonviolent offenses during the protests.”

“Powerful, peaceful, passionate protest is inseparable from the American identity, and I am proud of the thousands of Angelenos who have filled our streets to call for justice, cry out for change, and demand racial equality for Black Angelenos and all communities of color,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “I fully support City Attorney Mike Feuer’s decision not to prosecute or seek any punishment for those who broke curfew or failed to disperse during the recent protests, unless those cases involve violence, vandalism or looting.”

City officials, however, said that those arrested will have to take part in a menu of programs or forums involving the “exchange of ideas,” instead of going to court.

7:32 p.m.: Minneapolis looking at ‘year of engagement’ in police plan

The Minneapolis City Council said that it is committed to a year of public engagement in its intent to disband the city’s police department in favor of a more community-oriented agency.

“I know that we have committed ourselves to a year of engagement. If we move faster than that, that’s awesome,” Councilman Jeremiah Ellison said Monday in a Zoom call with press hosted by the Justice Collaborative. “You also have to understand that the Minneapolis Police Department has been around for 150 years. So developing an entirely new apparatus for public safety, we’ve got to do our due diligence and communicate with the public about that.”

Councilwoman Alondra Cano, the council’s public safety chair, said she wants to get input from the police department in addition to the community.

The City Council said it plans to redirect funds from the police department to other community safety strategies. The council was set to receive an amended city budget from Mayor Jacob Frey on June 12 and make its final determination on June 30, though that timeline may have shifted, Cano said.

“I believe that we should and can redirect funds from MPD into other community safety strategies that can help inform and bring life to that new public safety system that we all want to create,” Cano said. “I do want to redirect funds from MPD when we get the chance to take that vote. I’m hoping that happens within the next 30 days.”

City Council President Lisa Bender noted that the city’s budget is in a “very different place” than it was a few months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ll be budgeting in a very different environment starting very soon in July,” she said, adding that that might impact the City Council’s priorities.

With the police union’s contract currently up for negotiation, Ellison said it’s unclear at this time if the council would move forward with the bargaining agreement.

6 p.m.: Attorney for accused officer says rookie cop committed no crime

An attorney for one of the former police officers accused in the death of George Floyd tells ABC News that his client did not commit a crime and will not be pleading guilty in the case.

Earl Gray, the attorney for former officer Thomas Lane, tells ABC News’ Alex Perez that Lane had been on the job for only four days at the time of the incident and that he relied heavily on the advice and training of 20-year veteran officer Derek Chauvin, who was seen on video holding Floyd down with his knee on Floyd’s neck.

Lane was “concerned about the guy,” and after medics arrived he “jumped in the ambulance” to perform CPR, Gray said.

Gray said that Lane asked three times, “Shall we roll him over?” but Chauvin refused.

“My client did exactly what he was supposed to do — followed the experienced officer’s advice,” Gray said. “He had no knowledge that Chauvin was killing this guy.”

Gray said that Lane would not be accepting a plea deal in the case.

5:25 p.m.: Portland police chief to resign

The chief of the Portland Police Bureau in Oregon says she’s stepping aside for new leadership following protests that have rippled through the city.

Jami Resch, who is white, is resigning as chief of the bureau and will be replaced with Lt. Chuck Lovell, who is black, the bureau announced Monday.

“Over the last 10 days I’ve watched our city, I’ve listened and I hear you,” Resch said at a press briefing.

Lovell said he’s heard concerns from the black community that “we don’t feel like you treat us the same.”

“I’m going to listen, I’m going to care about the community and I’m going to care about the people in the organization,” he said.

Resch, who was sworn in as chief in late December, said she will remain with the bureau in some capacity.

“When Chief Resch told me that she believed our community needed new voices to lead the conversation around community safety, I agreed,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said at the briefing. “Together, we’re going to work on meaningful and bold reforms within the Portland Police Bureau.”

Last week, Resch asked the city to “come together to stop those who are holding our city with violence” after some protests resulted in vandalism, the Associated Press reported.

4:15 p.m.: France bans police chokeholds

France’s government on Monday announced a new ban on chokeholds by police.

“The French police are not the American police,” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said, “but legitimate questions arose … I decided to take measures because no one should risk their life during an arrest.”

Castaner said the neck grips will be abandoned and no longer be taught in police schools, calling it a “dangerous method. “

Also, if a police officer “has to maintain someone on the ground during their arrest, it will now be forbidden to lean on their neck or back of neck,” Castaner said.

3:30 p.m.: Alleged KKK leader arrested for driving into protesters, prosecutor says

A Virginia prosecutor says she’s considering hate crime charges against a man who was arrested for allegedly driving into protesters Sunday night.

The suspect, “by his own admission and by a cursory glance at his social media, is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan and a propagandist for Confederate ideology,” Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor said in a statement Monday.

Taylor said her office is “investigating whether hate crime charges are appropriate.”

At this time the suspect is charged with assault and battery, attempted malicious wounding and felony vandalism, prosecutors said. It doesn’t appear anyone was seriously injured Sunday night.

Taylor said, “Protesters acting peaceably, well within their constitutional rights of assembly, should not have to fear violence. We lived through this in Charlottesville in 2017. I promise Henricoans that this egregious criminal act will not go unpunished.”

2:50 p.m.: DC considering emergency police reform legislation

On Tuesday, the city council in Washington, D.C. will consider emergency legislation to ban chokeholds, speed up release of body camera video and increase funding for alternative measures to reduce and respond to crime.

City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told reporters Monday that he believes the bill will pass and said that the council might also look at transferring funds from the police department to pay for alternative means of policing.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said she expects to support the bill, adding, “we want to make sure we understand the technicalities.”

This announcement comes amid a rallying cry to “defund the police,” a message seen on signs and streets during protests.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in D.C. to protest Saturday, the city’s largest protest in the wake of Floyd’s death.

D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said no arrests were made in connection to Saturday’s demonstration.

“I heard the protests described as largely without violence,” said Newsham. “I would correct that statement and say exclusively without violence.”

1:30 p.m.: Public viewing begins in Houston for George Floyd

A six-hour public viewing is underway for George Floyd at a church in Houston, his hometown.

Mourners in masks have lined up in the blazing heat to show their respects.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was among those in attendance.

Floyd’s funeral will be in Houston on Tuesday.

12:57 p.m.: Confederate monument taken down in Louisville

A monument of Confederate Officer John Breckenridge Castleman was taken down in Louisville, Kentucky, Monday morning after a judge ruled on Friday that the city had the right to do so.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted, “We have much more to do to dismantle the structures that got us here. This is just one step, & I promise to do everything needed so that African Americans in our city are afforded the justice, opportunity & equity they deserve.”

The statue will go to a storage facility where it’ll be cleaned. It’ll later be taken to the cemetery where Castleman is buried, city officials said.

This comes just days after officials announced the removal of Confederate-era monuments in Virginia and Indiana.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday said Richmond’s statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee would be taken down.

Northam said the statue’s size and prominence in the city “sends a message” to young children who visit Richmond and ask about the towering monument.

“We can no longer honor a system that was based on the buying and selling of enslaved people,” he said.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Thursday said a monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers who died at a prison camp in the city will be removed from a local park.

The monument, initially in a cemetery, was put in the park in 1928 after “efforts by public officials, active in the KKK, who sought to ‘make the monument more visible to the public,’” Hogsett tweeted.

“Whatever original purpose this grave marker might once have had, for far too long it has served as nothing more than a painful reminder of our state’s horrific embrace of the Ku Klux Klan a century ago,” Hogsett said. “Time is up, and this grave marker will come down.”

12:07 p.m.: Cuomo says he’ll sign police reform bills ‘as soon as they are passed’

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said he’ll sign new policing and criminal justice reform bills “as soon as they are passed.”

He said proposals in new state legislation include: disciplinary record transparency; banning chokeholds; and appointing the state attorney general as a special prosecutor in police shooting cases to promote objectivity.

“How many times do you have to see the same situation before you act? And we are going to act in the state of New York,” Cuomo said.

“We worked with the legislature over the weekend — I think we have an agreement on the bills that are going to be introduced,” Cuomo said. “If they pass the bills that we have discussed, I will sign the bills and I will sign them as soon as they are passed.”

11:26 a.m.: Mom speaks out after son shot dead by officers during protests

The mother of David McAtee, a black man shot dead by officers during protests, said Monday, “the only thing I want for my son is peace and justice.”

At about 12:15 a.m. on June 1, members of the Louisville, Kentucky, police and Kentucky National Guard were trying to disperse a crowd when they “were fired upon,” Gov. Andy Beshear said last week.

The local police and National Guard returned fire, resulting in McAtee’s death, officials said.

McAtee then appeared to fire a gun outside his restaurant, toward the officers, police said.

Officers took cover and returned fire, police said.

McAtee’s mother, Odessa Riley, said at a news conference Monday that McAtee “had nothing in his hand” in the video and did not fire the first shot.

Steve Romines, an attorney for McAtee’s family, said police claim McAtee fired first in an effort “to steer public opinion against the victim.”

If the officers’ body cameras were on, a lot of questions could be answered right now, the attorneys for the family said.

Romines said he does not believe McAtee fired a weapon at all — especially if the restaurant owner knew it was law enforcement there.

“David loved law enforcement,” he said.

After McAtee was shot, Riley said that “no ambulance showed up — my son laid in there for 12 long hours.”

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer last week said “it was outrageous his body was left at the scene.”

Fischer said this case did not have as many investigators as usual because of the protests. Homicide investigators had to interview hundreds of National Guard members before the body could be removed, he said.

Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired after it was announced that no body camera footage was available of McAtee’s shooting.

Conrad previously said he would retire at the end of June after facing immense pressure following the March death of Breonna Taylor, a young black woman who was shot dead by police while in her home.

No charges have been filed in connection with Taylor’s death.

Congressional Democrats took a knee inside the Capitol Monday morning to observe a moment of silence in honor of George Floyd.

The moment of silence lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time Chauvin allegedly pinned Floyd to the ground.

Those participating included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and California Sen. Kamala Harris.

The moment of silence came just before House and Senate Democrats held a news conference to unveil the Justice In Policing Act of 2020.

Goals of the legislation include: removing the barrier of prosecuting police misconduct; demilitarizing the police; and combating police brutality by requiring body cameras and dashboard cameras.

“This has never been done before at the federal level,” Schumer said at the news conference.

“We cannot settle for anything less than transformative, structural change,” Pelosi said.

Schumer called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the bill to the floor of the Senate before July.

“A divided nation cannot wait for healing, for solutions,” Schumer said.

7:14 a.m.: Minneapolis mayor: ‘Am I for completely abolishing the police department? No I am not’

Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, spoke with ABC News’ Good Morning America Monday about addressing the Minneapolis City Council’s intent to move toward dismantling the city’s police department and police reform.

In the interview, Frey doubled down on his opposition to abolishing the police department.

“Let me be clear, I am for massive structural and transformational reform to an entire system that has not for generations worked for black and brown people.” Frey said. ” We have failed them and we need to entirely reshape the system. We need a full on cultural shift in how our police department and departments throughout the country function. Am I for entirely abolishing the police department? No, I’m not.”

Frey said he is looking forward to working with the Minneapolis City Council on coming up with a solution and that he would be working with them directly on coming up with a compromise and clarified the kinds of reforms he will be pushing for in the coming days.

“There are so many areas where both mayors and chiefs, elected officials and otherwise, have been hamstrung for generations because we can’t get that necessary culture shift because we have difficulty both terminating and disciplining officers and then getting that termination or discipline to stick,” Frey continued. “And so let me be very clear, we’re going after the police union, the police union contract, the arbitration provisions that mandate that we have arbitration at the end of the process and oftentimes that reverts the officer right back to where they were to begin with. We need to be able to have the culture shift and if we’re going to do that it also means we need to have the ability to discipline officers to begin with.”

Frey also reiterated the importance of using the momentum that has been building toward fundamental and structural reforms of the existing system.

But his opinion has not been a popular one within his own community.

On Saturday the mayor was booed out of a protest after he said he did not support abolishing the police department.

A protester asked Frey if he supported defunding the police department, however, he did not answer that question and instead said he “did not support the full abolition of the police.”

Boos quickly permeated through the crowd and protesters chanted, “Go home Jacob! Go home!”

Activists have called for defunding police departments in the U.S., often meaning taking money out of the police budget and putting it toward the community. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced such a measure earlier this week.

Said Frey: “I support people expressing their first amendment rights even when it means that they’re calling me out. So is it difficult? Yes, of course, it’s difficult. But let’s remember this is not about me. This is about the tragic murder of George Floyd by a police officer. We need to be grounded in that as we move forward.”

6:41 a.m.: Family of George Floyd appeals to UN to intervene in case

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the legal team, and the family of George Floyd have submitted an Urgent Appeal to the United Nations to intervene in the case of Floyd’s death and make recommendations for systemic police reform in the U.S., according to a statement released by Crump.

In a June 3 letter, Crump and George Floyd’s family urged the UN to investigate the circumstances around the death of Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers and sent recommendations for systemic police reform.

“Among the reforms requested were deescalating techniques, independent prosecutions and autopsies for every extrajudicial police killing in an effort to stop further human rights abuses including torture and extrajudicial killings of African Americans to protect their inherent and fundamental human right to life,” the statement read.

Said Crump: “The United States of America has a long pattern and practice of depriving Black citizens of the fundamental human right to life … The United States government has consistently failed to hold police accountable and did not bring Federal criminal charges even in cases with irrefutable video evidence. When a group of people of any nation have been systemically deprived of their universal human right to life by its government for decades, it must appeal to the international community for its support and to the United Nations for its intervention.”

1:35 a.m.: Trump reignites NFL feud with tweet aimed at football commissioner

President Donald Trump reopened the national anthem debate with the NFL after tweeting a response late Sunday night to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s video.

The video, released on June 5, said the NFL erred in how it dealt with player protests of police brutality and systemic racism.

Trump’s tweet read: “Could it be even remotely possible that in Roger Goodell’s rather interesting statement of peace and reconciliation, he was intimating that it would now be O.K. for the players to KNEEL, or not to stand, for the National Anthem, thereby disrespecting our Country & our Flag?”

Trump seems to have taken issue with Goodell’s statement on Friday.

Goodell had said in a June 5 video, “We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

“We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter. I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country,” Goodell said.

An NFL spokesman told ABC News on Sunday that Goodell’s statement was a direct response to a plea from a group of NFL players who directly addressed the league in a message posted on Friday and called on the NFL to “listen to your players.”

Goodell’s message did not address the national anthem, the American flag or kneeling.

In September 2017, Trump, while speaking in Alabama, encouraged team owners to release players who knelt during the anthem.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired,’” Trump said at the time.

In a video titled “I am George Floyd” and posted on the NFL’s Twitter page, a group of NFL players including Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyrann Mathieu, delivered this message: “How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players? What will it take? For one of us to be murdered by police brutality?”

“We will not be silent. We reserve our rights to peacefully protest,” the players said.

12:41 a.m.: Seattle police chief and mayor announce new policies

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced that in an attempt to de-escalate tensions between police and protesters, there will be a reduction of officers outside the East precinct where clashes have happened, and the officers will remove some of their protective gear.

It’s of “paramount importance that we meet peace with peace,” she said.

Best also said that her family is out protesting.

Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said she’ll examine the budget of the police department to reprioritize spending and will look for $100 million in the city budget to redirect to a new community commission of Seattle’s black community.

She also announced an emergency order requiring police to turn on their body cameras during demonstrations.

10:56 p.m.: Hollywood march draws upwards of 20,000
Sunday’s protest march in Hollywood drew an estimated 20,000 demonstrators, according to aerial footage from Los Angeles ABC station KABC-TV.

As part of the protest, a Black Lives Matter flag flew atop Hollywood’s iconic Capitol Records building.

In New York City, demonstrations extended into the evening after authorities lifted the curfew that had been in effect.

Largely peaceful protests occurred in Manhattan’s Union Square, Washington Square Park and Columbus Circle, as well as locations throughout Brooklyn.

Protests continued in Boston, Chicago, Miami and Pittsburgh, among other cities.

ABC News’ Dee Carden, Deena Zaru, Marilyn Heck, Ibtissem Guenfoud, Bonnie Mclean and Kirit Radia contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Minneapolis mayor calls for charges against officer who put knee to George Floyd’s neck

admin — Thu, 28 May 2020 09:05:40 +0000

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

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Mayor calls for charges to be pressed on officer that put his knee on George Floyd’s neck

admin — Thu, 28 May 2020 07:27:58 +0000

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.

George Floyd

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.

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