Drew Brees directly responded to President Trump’s criticism of the NFL star on Friday – a day after the Saints quarterback apologized for saying that players who knelt during the national anthem were disrespecting the flag.

On Instagram, Brees on Friday posted a graphic showing a gray box with the words ‘To President Trump’ written in the middle.

The caption read: ‘Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag.

‘It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (left) told President Trump (right) on social media that he stands by his apology for saying earlier this week that athletes who take a knee during the national anthem as a form of protest were disrespecting the military

On Instagram, Brees on Friday posted a graphic showing a gray box with the words ‘To President Trump’ written in the middle

The caption read: ‘Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag’

‘We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week.

‘We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.

‘We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?

‘We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities.

‘We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action.

‘The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.’

Earlier on Friday, Trump called out Brees for backing down from his earlier criticism on Wednesday, when the NFL star was quoted as saying that he didn’t agree with protesters who knelt during the national anthem.

(From left) Brittney Brees, Drew Brees, Melania Trump and Donald Trump pictured at the college football national championship game at the Superdome in New Orleans 

President Donald Trump is wading back into the debate over NFL player protests by condemning Drew Brees’s recent apology for calling the peaceful demonstrations ‘disrespectful’ to the military

Brees apologized on Thursday for comments he made one day earlier that he described as ‘insensitive and completely missed the mark.’ 

He said on Wednesday that he ‘will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country’ while reiterating his objection to NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

Brees, who had previously disagreed with the protests started by Colin Kaepernick, repeated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem in an interview with Yahoo Finance on Wednesday. 

Numerous black athletes, including NBA star LeBron James, expressed outrage at Brees. 

Several of Brees’ New Orleans teammates were among the NFL players who were irate.

The biting backlash that followed prompted the Saints’ star quarterback to issue a several apologies on Thursday, first writing that he ‘missed the mark’ and then promising to ‘do better’ in his self-made video.

In the apology video, Brees also referenced the recent killing of Ahmad Arbery, the black man who was shot to death by a former cop and his son while he was jogging in Georgia.

‘I wish I would have laid out what was on my heart in regards to the George Floyd murder, Ahmaud Arbery, the years and years of social injustice, police brutality and the need for so much reform and change in regards to legislation and so many other things to bring equality to our black communities,’ Brees said.

‘I am sorry and I will do better and I will be part of the solution and I am your ally.’

Trump, though, said on his Twitter account that he doesn’t think Brees needed to issue an apology.

Several of Brees’ teammates, including Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, and Michael Thomas, took to social media and praised the quarterback for his apology. ‘A big part of leadership is admitting when you are wrong, and correcting your mistake,’ Davis tweeted

Jordan responded to Davis, tweeting: ‘Only through open dialogue & open hearts can we expand our comprehension and only in courage can we create positive change!’

Thomas, a wide receiver who catches passes from Brees, tweeted: ‘My QB!’ He added an emoji showing a flexed bicep muscle.

‘I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high. …

‘We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart.

‘There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag – NO KNEELING!’

Several of Brees’ teammates, including Demario Davis, Cameron Jordan, and Michael Thomas, took to social media and praised the quarterback for his apology. 

‘A big part of leadership is admitting when you are wrong, and correcting your mistake,’ Davis tweeted. 

‘A model that All of America can follow, admit the wrong done to the black community, fix the issues and WE ALL move forward together. 

‘Let’s all stand together now and find solutions.’

Jordan responded to Davis, tweeting: ‘Only through open dialogue & open hearts can we expand our comprehension and only in courage can we create positive change!’

Thomas, a wide receiver who catches passes from Brees, tweeted: ‘My QB!’

He added an emoji showing a flexed bicep muscle. 

Trump’s comments came hours before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell apologized and said that the league was wrong for not listening to players and their concerns about social justice and racism.

Social injustice has been a major source of tension in the NFL since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling before games during the 2016 season to bring attention to police brutality. 

Drew Brees posted a video on Instagram to apologize again for his comments about protests 

Brees did not run away from criticism in his apology on Instagram: ‘In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country’

Kaepernick hasn’t played in an NFL game since that year.

The NFL’s relationship with black players is under scrutiny in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

A group of players requested the NFL take strong action on Thursday in a video directed at Goodell and other NFL officials.

Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes in an incident caught on cell phones. 

Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Three other officers – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – were arrested and charged with aiding and abetting both a second-degree murder and a second-degree manslaughter.   

President Donald Trump is wading back into the debate over NFL player protests by condemning Drew Brees’s recent apology for calling the peaceful demonstrations ‘disrespectful’ to the military. 

‘I am a big fan of Drew Brees,’ Trump tweeted Friday. ‘I think he’s truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high.

‘We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag – NO KNEELING!’

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO 

(From left) Brittney Brees, Drew Brees, Melania Trump and Donald Trump pictured at the college football national championship game at the Superdome in New Orleans 

President Donald Trump is wading back into the debate over NFL player protests by condemning Drew Brees’s recent apology for calling the peaceful demonstrations ‘disrespectful’ to the military

The controversy has reignited in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man whose death has sparked protests around the country.  In a video of the violent arrest that went viral, Floyd is seen screaming that he can’t breath before ultimately passing out. He was later declared dead at a local hospital.

Brees, who had previously disagreed with the protests, repeated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem in an interview with Yahoo Finance on Wednesday.

The biting backlash that followed prompted the Saints’ star quarterback to issue a several apologies on Thursday, first writing that he ‘missed the mark’ and then promising to ‘do better’ in his self-made video.

In the apology video, Brees also referenced the recent killing of Ahmad Arbery, the black man who was shot to death by a former cop and his son while he was jogging in Georgia.

‘I wish I would have laid out what was on my heart in regards to the George Floyd murder, Ahmaud Arbery, the years and years of social injustice, police brutality and the need for so much reform and change in regards to legislation and so many other things to bring equality to our black communities,’ Brees said.

‘I am sorry and I will do better and I will be part of the solution and I am your ally.’

Drew Brees posted a video on Instagram to apologize again for his comments about protests 

Brees did not run away from criticism in his apology on Instagram: ‘In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character’

When Brees expressed his position on the anthem three years ago, he was one of many voices in a crowded conversation about Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players raising awareness about racist police brutality by refusing to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner.

But when he repeated it Wednesday, pointing to his World War II veteran grandfathers to explain his objection, the Saints quarterback learned in humbling fashion how times have changed.

The criticism of the peaceful protests sparked an immediate backlash, led by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

James not only thought Brees misinterpreted the protests, but strongly criticized his references to military veterans in his family. To James, protesting during the anthem is not disrespectful to the military, flag, or country.  

‘WOW MAN!!’ James tweeted. ‘Is it still surprising at this point. (sic) Sure isn’t!

‘You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of [the flag] and our soldiers (men and women) who keep our land free. My father-in-law was one of those men who fought as well for this country. I asked him question about it and thank him all the time for his commitment. He never found Kap peaceful protest offensive because he and I both know what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong!’ 

Demario Davis (right) and Michael Thomas (left) have forgiven Brees for his comments

Michael Thomas, Drew Brees’s favorite target, has since accepted his quarterback’s apology 

Brees’s comments were also blasted by several members of the New Orleans Saints — most notably record-setting wide receiver Michael Thomas, Brees’s favorite target, and veteran safety Malcolm Thomas, who told Brees to ‘shut the f*** up’ in his own social media video.

Some Saints fans were seen burning his replica jersey, while other demonstrators in New Orleans could be heard chanting ‘f*** Drew Brees.’

Thomas, linebacker Demario Davis, and some other Saints players have since accepted Brees’s apology.

‘One of my brothers made a public statement yesterday that I disagreed with,’ Thomas wrote on Twitter. ‘He apologized & I accept it because that’s what we are taught to do as Christians. Now back to the movement! #GeorgeFloyd.’

Conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham did defend Brees, and has since been ridiculed for her apparent hypocrisy after telling James and Kevin Durant to ‘shut up and dribble’ in 2018 when they criticized Trump.

 

New Orleans Saints players kneel before the National Anthem before a game against the New York Jets in New Orleans on December 17, 2017. Varying numbers of NFL players have been kneeling during the anthem to protest inequality and police brutality against minorities since then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began doing so in 2016. The protests were considered controversial, and many still object to demonstrating during the anthem. However, in the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the deaths of other African Americans at the hands of police, American athletes are doing their part to promote justice and equality 

Colin Kaepernick (right)  is offering to pay the legal fees for any of the ‘freedom fighters’ arrested while protesting the death of George Floyd (left) in Minnesota this week

Fox News host Laura Ingraham (left) said in 2018 that LeBron James and other black basketball players should ‘shut up and dribble’ rather than criticize President Donald Trump

Demonstrators in New Orleans chanted ‘f*** Drew Brees’ after he knocked the NFL’s protests 

Many, including Trump, previously slammed NFL players’ peaceful demonstrations as being disrespectful to the military.   

Vice president Mike Pence walked out of a 49ers-Indianapolis Colts game in October of 2017 after Kaepernick’s former teammates kneeled in protest.

Last week, in response to looting and rioting amid the demonstrations, Trump claimed to be ‘an ally of all peaceful protesters’ while Pence has echoed similar statements on social media.

Kaepernick recently offered to pay the legal fees for any of the ‘freedom fighters’ arrested while protesting the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

‘In fighting for liberation there’s always retaliation,’ Kaepernick wrote on Twitter. ‘We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp.’

Derek Chauvin, who is seen in the arrest video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, has been charged with second- and third-degree murder as well as manslaughter.

The other officers — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao — are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Second-degree murder as well as aiding and abetting second-degree murder are both punishable by up to 40 years in prison.   

In 2017 many teams opted for anthem compromises that did not involve kneeling, even as they sought to carry forward former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the same social issues that now surround Floyd’s killing. Many teams opted to remain standing with locked arms, reminiscent of civil rights protests. The Saints, Brees included, chose to kneel moments before the anthem and then stand as it began

37m ago

Police made more than 7,200 arrests over the weekend

5:24 PM

Louisville police chief fired after police fatally shoot black man at protest

Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad was relieved of his duties on Monday after a man was shot and killed by police after midnight. The man, David McAtee, was a black restaurant owner. 

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced Conrad’s firing at a press conference Monday. Fischer said he learned that the officer’s body cameras “were not activated” at the time of the shooting. 

“This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated. Accordingly, I have relieved Steve Conrad of his duties as chief of Louisville Metro Police Department,” he said. 

Deputy Chief Rob Schroeder said investigators do not yet know which officers fired the fatal shot, or what instigated the shooting. 

“The two officers who fired their weapons violated our policy by either not wearing or not activating their cameras,” Schroeder said. “That is completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse for their clear failure.” 

“We lost a wonderful citizen named David McAtee. David was a friend to many,” Fischer said.

“For him to be caught up in this and for him not to be with us today is a tragedy that is hard to put into words.”

5:10 PM

Police kneel in front of Trump Hotel, blocks from White House

4:44 PM

NYPD commissioner says violent police incidents are under investigation

Updated 4:00 PM

Cuomo announces curfew for New York City

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on WAMC public radio Monday that New York City will have a curfew beginning 11 p.m. Monday night. The curfew will last until 5 a.m., according to the governor.

New York City is one of the last major cities to impose a curfew during the national protests following George Floyd’s death.

Cuomo clarified that the curfew will only apply to New York City, not upstate New York. When asked if the curfew will last multiple nights, Cuomo said: “It’s 11-5 tonight and then we’ll see where we are tomorrow.”

“Last night was a bad night in New York City,” he said, adding that people have used “the chaos of the moment” to rob businesses. 

3:48 PM

George Floyd’s death a homicide by asphyxiation, independent autopsy finds

3:15 PM

Over 17,000 national guardsmen have been deployed in response to protests

The National Guard said Monday that more than 17,000 of its members have been deployed in response to the nationwide protests. Governors from 23 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have activated the Guard in the last week, the bureau said in a statement. 

Including the approximately 45,000 national guardsmen who have been activated to help battle the coronavirus pandemic, there are now 66,7000 national guardsmen activated for domestic operations in support of U.S. governors, which the bureau described as a “historic” amount. During Hurricane Katrina response efforts in 2005, only about 51,000 guardsmen were activated, the bureau said. 

3:00 PM

Good cops “can’t sit in complicit silence” about racial injustice, St. Louis prosecutor says

2:54 PM

Obama says protests could be “a real turning point” in fight for police reform

1:36 PM

Justice Department steps up law enforcement presence

1:12 PM

ICE deploying agents to help local authorities

12:58 PM

The world reacts to George Floyd’s death

As anger erupts in American cities over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, the international reaction has ranged from moral grandstanding by U.S. adversaries, to rallies in solidarity with black communities on the streets of London and Berlin.

Reactions in other nations have ranged from street level to the highest offices of government. Read more here.

12:19 PM

President Trump tells “weak” governors they “have to dominate”

12:01 PM

Fort Lauderdale cop suspended after shoving kneeling protester to the ground

11:35 AM

George Floyd and Derek Chauvin worked at same club and likely crossed paths, owner says

10:41 AM

Brother says George Floyd would urge peace “if he was here”

10:13 AM

Police nationwide show solidarity with Floyd protesters

Police officers throughout the U.S. have shown solidarity with people protesting the death of George Floyd. 

Marchers in Flint Township, Michigan, arrived at a police station where Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson — responding to chants of “Walk with us! Walk with us!” — said, “Come on!” and joined the protest.

In New Jersey,  Camden County Police Chief Joe Wysocki, who has been working in the city for decades, joined the front line of a march in Camden on Saturday afternoon, sporting his uniform, a protective face mask and a peace sign.

In New York, officers clapped on protesters, hundreds of whom stopped and took a knee with fists raised just north of the Empire State Building.

Police in Fargo, North Dakota, held hands with protesters while officers took a knee in Santa Cruz, California.  

9:13 AM

NYPD commissioner responds to video showing police cruiser driving into protesters

8:42 AM

NYC mayor’s daughter arrested while protesting

8:08 AM

Trump took shelter in White House bunker as protests raged

7:43 AM

Large crowds of protesters raise fears of potential new coronavirus outbreaks

7:08 AM

Cop arrested in George Floyd’s death moved to two detention facilities in same day

Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer who is now charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, has been moved to a second detention facility in the same day. CBS Minnesota reports Chauvin had been held at the Ramsey County Jail after being taken into custody in Minnesota.

On Sunday afternoon, he was transferred to the Hennepin County Jail. Just hours later, he was moved to a corrections  department facility in Oak Park Heights, CBS Minnesota says.

During a news conference Sunday night, Commissioner of Corrections Paul Schnell said Chauvin was moved partially due to COVID-19 concerns, especially considering the number of protesters who’d already been arrested on Sunday.

6:36 AM

Minnesota attorney general to lead prosecutions related to Floyd’s death

6:38 AM

Video shows semi-truck trying to drive through protesters on Minneapolis interstate

6:34 AM

D.C. mayor activates National Guard amid heated protests

MINNEAPOLIS – The Latest on the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer knelt on his neck (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he talked to members of George Floyd’s family on Friday and “expressed my sorrow.”

Trump spoke about his conversation with members of the Floyd family during a White House meeting with businesses executives. He says of the encounter with police captured on video that “it was just a horrible thing to witness and to watch. It certainly looked like there was no excuse for it.”

Trump says the family grieved during the call and that “I could see very much that they loved their brother.”

Trump was also asked about his tweet saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” He says he had heard that phrase for a long time, but didn’t know where it originated.

He says the phrase is “very accurate in the sense that, when you do have looting like you had last night, people often get shot and they die. And that’s not good and we don’t want that to happen.”

Trump also spoke about the looters, saying they did a great disservice to their state, city and the country. He said “we can never let that happen again.”

The president also says of the city and its mayor “I don’t think they were very well prepared. But we brought in the National Guard. They will be very prepared tonight.”

___

4:45 p.m.

Police in Memphis, Tennessee, are investigating whether an officer broke any rules after a video surfaced of a woman being knocked to the ground during a protest related to the death of George Floyd.

The handcuffed black man pleaded for air as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. That officer was arrested and charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said on social media Friday that he’s asked Police Director Michael Rallings to investigate “an event that occurred Wednesday night with one of our officers and a female protester.”

A video has been shared on television and social media that appears to show an officer shoving a woman to the ground. It’s not clear whether she was injured.

___

4:15 p.m.

NBA veteran Stephen Jackson says he’ll use his platform and “everything I have to get a conviction” for the four Minneapolis police officers who were fired after George Floyd’s death.

Jackson, like Floyd, is from Houston and they were friends. The handcuffed black man died after pleading for air as a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.

That officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The charges were announced shortly after Jackson spoke at a news conference organized by activists at Minneapolis City Hall. Actor Jamie Foxx and Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns were among those in attendance.

Jackson is 42. He played for eight NBA teams from 2000-2013 and won a championship in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs.

He and Floyd called each other “twin” because of their resemblance.

Both were star high school athletes in the Houston area in the 1990s. Floyd had moved to Minneapolis two years ago for a fresh start.

___

4 p.m.

A white Minneapolis police officer who is charged with murder for kneeling on George Floyd’s neck as he pleaded for air is accused of ignoring another officer who was worried that the handcuffed black man should be rolled onto his side.

Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

The criminal complaint also says that an autopsy revealed nothing to support strangulation. It says the medical examiner concluded that the combined effects of being restrained, potential intoxicants in Floyd’s system, and his underlying health issues likely contributed to his death.

The complaint says Floyd was struggling with officers who tried to put him in a squad car and at one point he went to the ground face down. The complaint says one officer held Floyd’s back and another held his legs, while Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s head and neck area. When one officer said he was getting worried and asked if Floyd should be rolled onto his side, Chauvin said no.

In all, Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. The complaint says that includes nearly three minutes after Floyd stopped moving and talking.

Chauvin’s attorney had no comment when reached by The Associated Press.

___

3:45 p.m.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has declared a nighttime curfew running from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday and again from 8 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday.

His order comes after sometimes violent protests over the death of George Floyd. The handcuffed black man pleaded for air as a white police officer knelt on his neck.

Frey’s order said nobody may venture out in public during those times, except for emergency responders, or people seeking medical care, fleeing dangerous circumstances or experiencing homelessness. Violators can be fined up to $1,000 and jailed up to 90 days.

___

2:20 p.m.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr says he’s “confident justice will be served” after the restraint death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody.

Barr said in a statement Friday that the videos of George Floyd’s death were “harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing.”

The Justice Department and FBI are conducting an investigation to determine whether federal civil rights laws were broken.

Barr’s comments come as the white police officer who was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck was arrested. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Barr says a decision whether to pursue federal charges “must be, and will be, based on the law and facts” and that the process is “proceeding quickly.”

He said federal officials were working with local law enforcement to ensure relevant evidence is collected as quickly as possible.

___

1:45 p.m.

An uncle of a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis said he will be attending peaceful demonstrations, but that violent protests are “absolutely outlandish.”

Selwyn Jones’ nephew George Floyd died Monday after a white officer knelt on his neck as Floyd pleaded for air. Floyd’s death has set off days of protests in the Minneapolis area and communities across the U.S.

“I think that is absolutely outlandish for them to destroy their own city, their own home, to make a point,” Jones told the Rapid City Journal in South Dakota. “I don’t think the point that they’re trying to make is the point that we’re trying to make.”

Jones is planning to attend a walk in memory of Floyd on Saturday in Rapid City. He said people who have reacted with violent protest and looting are “taking advantage of a bad situation to express anger.”

___

1:30 p.m.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he has spoken with the family of George Floyd and is calling for justice.

Biden’s comments came as a Minnesota prosecutor announced charges against a police officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says Derek Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the restraint death of Floyd.

In a brief online appearance Friday, the former vice president blamed systemic racism, which he called “an open wound” on American society, for Floyd’s death. He says it’s time for deep and lasting police reform.

Biden also took an indirect swipe at President Donald Trump without naming him, saying it was, “No time for incendiary tweets. No time to incite violence.”

___

1:15 p.m.

A Minnesota prosecutor has charged a police officer with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the restraint death of George Floyd.

Floyd is the handcuffed black man whose cries of “I can’t breathe” in a widely seen cellphone video set off days of violent protest in Minneapolis and around the country.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Friday that he may yet bring more charges against the officer, Derek Chauvin.

The white officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes in the video. Floyd can be seen gradually becoming motionless as Chauvin and three other officers ignored bystanders’ shouts to get off him.

Floyd was pronounced dead at a Minneapolis hospital in an incident that began when police responded to a report of a man passing a counterfeit bill in a grocery store on Memorial Day.

The charges came after Minneapolis has been rocked by three days of protests, including looting, scores of fires and the burning of a police precinct station on Thursday even after the governor called out the National Guard.

___

12:45 p.m.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry is responding to the death of George Floyd.

The ministry says in a lengthy statement that the death underlines frequent violence by police in the United States.

Floyd pleaded for air as a white police officer knelt on the handcuffed black man’s neck. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested Friday.

The statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry says, “This incident is far from the first in a series of manifestations of lawlessness and unjustified violence by the ‘law enforcement officers’ in the United States.”

The ministry called on the U.S. to “to take real and effective measures to rectify the situation, return to the conscientious fulfillment of international obligations, and bring national legislation in line with the basic UN principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement agencies.”

___

12:25 p.m.

Minnesota authorities say the police officer who knelt on George Floyd has been arrested.

Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said Friday that state investigators arrested Derek Chauvin.

Chauvin is the white officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a handcuffed black man.

The arrest comes after three days of protests, which escalated in violence as demonstrators torched a police precinct that had been abandoned by officers.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Friday acknowledged the “abject failure” of the response to this week’s violent protests. Walz said the state would take over the response and that it’s time to show respect and dignity to those who are suffering.

___

12:05 p.m.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is acknowledging the “abject failure” of the response to this week’s protests over the death of George Floyd.

During a news conference on Friday, Walz said the state would take over the response. He says it’s time to show respect and dignity to those who are suffering. He also called for swift justice for officers involved in Floyd’s death. The handcuffed black man pleaded for air as a white officer knelt on his neck.

Walz’s comments came after protesters torched a police station that officers abandoned during a third night of violence.

Livestream video showed protesters entering the building, where intentionally set fires activated smoke alarms and sprinklers.

___

11:30 a.m.

Attorneys for the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are calling for an independent investigation of the actions leading to Floyd’s death.

They also want national reforms in response to the three deaths.

Attorney Benjamin Crump said during a news conference Friday that he’s asked to take custody of Floyd’s body for an independent autopsy. He and attorney Lee Merritt said they want murder charges brought against the four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s arrest. And they want the Minnesota attorney general to take over the investigation.

Crump says the families from Georgia, Kentucky and now Minnesota have all had to dispel narratives from law enforcement that their loved ones “brought this upon themselves.” They cited an initial report in Floyd’s case that said he threatened police and died of a medical condition.

Videos show an officer kneeling on the back of Floyd’s neck as the handcuffed black man pleads for air.

The attorneys said they’ll seek national legislation seeking better training and to lower the burden to charge officers for excessive force.

___

11 a.m.

A now-fired police officer and a black man who died in his custody both worked as security guards at a popular Latin nightclub as recently as the end of last year. But the club’s former owner says it’s not clear whether they knew each other.

Officer Derek Chauvin worked at the El Nuevo Rodeo club as off-duty security for nearly two decades. Maya Santamaria told The Associated Press that George Floyd had worked there only more recently for about a dozen events that featured African American music.

Santamaria says she doesn’t believe the two knew each other before their encounter Monday night when the officer was seen on cellphone video kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Santamaria says that if the officer had recognized Floyd, “He might have given him a little more mercy.”

Santamaria sold the venue within the past two months. She says Chauvin got along well with the regular Latino customers, but didn’t like to work the African American nights. When he did, and there was a fight, he would spray people with mace and call for police backup. She says a half dozen squad cars would soon show up, something she felt was unjustified “overkill.

(CNN) – President Donald Trump was “ghoulish and inappropriate” in politicizing a fatal drunken driving crash involving an undocumented immigrant, the Indiana prosecutor overseeing the case said.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry filed four felony charges Wednesday against Manuel Orrego-Savala, a Guatemalan citizen who had been deported from the US twice, for allegedly drunkenly operating a vehicle and killing NFL linebacker Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe in Indiana early Sunday morning.

In announcing those charges, Curry criticized Trump and others for focusing on Orrego-Savala’s immigration status rather than the tragedy of two lost lives.

“We will vigorously prosecute this matter, just like any comparable crime, not because of the immigration status of an accused, but because two innocent men lost their lives in this horrible incident,” Curry, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy. Much of such commentary, including tweets by the President, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday,” he added. “We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims.”

The sharply worded comments came a day after Trump said it was “disgraceful that a person illegally in our country” killed Jackson, a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts. Trump called on Democrats to “get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!”

As part of his call for tighter immigration policy, Trump has repeatedly highlighted crimes in which the suspect is an undocumented immigrant. On the campaign trail, he spoke often about the 2015 killing of Kate Steinle in San Francisco, allegedly by a man deported five times previously. The man, Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, was found not guilty of murder in the case.

Authorities said Orrego-Savala, 37, was driving the vehicle that fatally hit Jackson and Monroe early Sunday on Interstate 70. Orrego-Savala had a prior conviction for driving under the influence, and had been deported twice, according to officials.

Suspect in court

Orrego-Savala was charged in court Wednesday with two counts each of felony failure to remain at the scene of an accident and causing death when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent of .15 or more, according to court documents.

The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and set bond at $200,000.

Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Jorge Torres said he had “serious concerns” about getting a fair trial in light of the negative attention on his client’s immigration status.

“Drunk driving has nothing to do with immigration status,” Torres said.

Orrego-Savala also was charged on Tuesday in federal court with illegal entry after previous deportations.

“The defendant in this case allegedly re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men early Sunday morning,” said Josh J. Minkler, a US attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

Edwin Jackson, 26, started eight games in 2016 for the Colts, but did not play this past season due to an injury.

“Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization,” the team said. “We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hardworking mentality.”

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said he will pay for both men’s funerals.

The crash

After the crash Sunday, Orrego-Savala was accused of driving without a license and suspicion of intoxicated driving, and taken to the Marion County Jail.

Monroe, a ride-share driver, had stopped his 2018 Lincoln on the side of Interstate 70 in Indianapolis because Jackson, his passenger, had become ill, according to state police.

Both men were standing outside the car when a black Ford F-150 pickup truck drove onto the emergency shoulder and struck them.

One of the men was thrown into the center lane. A state trooper spotted the wreckage and as he slowed to stop for the crash, he struck the body in the center lane, officials said. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

During Orrego-Savala’s arrest, he gave the Indiana State Police an alias — Alex Cabrera Gonsales — and attempted to flee on foot, authorities said.

In a preliminary breathalyzer test, Orrego-Savala had a .239 percent blood alcohol concentration, about three times the legal limit to drive, according to a criminal affidavit. He also admitted to being the driver, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that the suspect had been “sound asleep” prior to being read his implied consent rights. In addition, an alcoholic container was found inside his vehicle on the passenger side, according to the affidavit.

When Orrego-Savala appeared before a judge on Tuesday, he questioned why he was in court, and claimed he wasn’t driving the car in the fatal crash, according to the court clerk.

A man listed as Alex Cabrera Gonsales was arrested last year in Whitestown, Indiana, after a driving infraction, according to a report by Whitestown Police officials, who confirmed both identities are the same person.

He was pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign, and authorities found out he did not have a driver’s license, according to the police report. He was arrested and taken to jail for further processing.

Scott Rolston of Whitestown Police said the department generally would not communicate with ICE for a typical traffic stop.

Cabrera Gonsales pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while never receiving a license, which is a misdemeanor, according to documents provided by CNN affiliate WISH-TV. He was sentenced to two days in the Boone County Jail and released after one day served.

Deported twice

Orrego-Savala was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in October 2006, and deported to Guatemala in January 2007, according to a federal criminal complaint.

He was prohibited from returning to the United States for 10 years, according to federal officials.

Two years after he was deported, he returned to the United States illegally, and was deported again two months later in May 2009, with an order not to come back for 20 years, according to the complaint.

County authorities gave the suspect’s name as Orrego-Savala, but the US attorney’s office identified him as Orrego-Zavala.

Rick Callahan, Associated Press

Updated 11:07 pm, Wednesday, February 7, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana prosecutor blasted President Donald Trump on Wednesday for politicizing the case of an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. and charged in a drunken crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man, saying his and others’ comments were “ghoulish and inappropriate.”

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said his office would “vigorously prosecute” the case regardless of the suspect’s immigration status. Curry criticized Trump and others who cited the case as part of the nation’s immigration debate, noting that “two innocent men lost their lives in this horrible incident.”

Curry filed felony charges earlier in the day against the suspect, Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala who has twice been deported from the U.S. Orrego-Savala is accused of driving the pickup truck that hit Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, early Sunday in Indianapolis.

“We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy,” Curry, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Much of such commentary, including tweets by the president, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday. We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims.”

Trump drew added attention to the case on Twitter, calling the highway collision “disgraceful,” and prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

Orrego-Savala is charged with two counts each of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The two more serious counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The 37-year-old said little during his initial court hearing Wednesday, responding through an interpreter as a judge explained the proceedings and charges. The judge set his bond at $200,000 after entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Investigators said Orrego-Savala was living illegally in the U.S. at the time of Sunday’s crash. Late Tuesday, he was charged by federal prosecutors with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. He faces up to 10 years in prison in that case, which would be handled after any state charges are resolved.

His defense attorney, Jorge Torres, said Orrego-Savala’s immigration status has no bearing on the drunken-driving case. He questioned whether his client could get a fair trial given the local publicity about the case and his immigration issues. Torres declined to comment on Trump’s tweets.

Torres said his client has been living and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area for several years.

“He’s very distraught to say the least,” Torres said. “He’s very confused.”

Jackson’s family planned no response to Trump’s tweets about the crash and the suspect’s immigration status, according to a family spokesman.

“We’ll let the politicians do the politics while the family is just going to grieve and circle the wagons and try to heal from this tragic situation,” Atlanta attorney Daniel Meachum said Tuesday. “The family is in shock, as you can imagine.”

Prosecutors allege Orrego-Savala was driving the vehicle that crashed into Jackson and Monroe as the two men stood outside Monroe’s car early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Monroe was transporting Jackson for Uber, the ride-sharing service, and had pulled over after the 26-year-old football player became ill, investigators said.

Orrego-Savala was arrested shortly after the crash. A blood test conducted at a hospital determined he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Indiana’s legal limit for driving, according to court documents.

Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and again in 2009. In 2005, he was convicted for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. He also has numerous other misdemeanor convictions and arrests in California and Indiana, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nicole Alberico.

In the 2005 case, he pleaded no contest to two separate drunken-driving offenses and was given a brief jail sentence, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Orrego-Savala remained jailed Wednesday in Indianapolis. Federal and county prosecutors spelled his last name as “Orrego-Zavala” in charging documents, but his attorney said his name is spelled Orrego-Savala, a spelling that’s listed among his aliases in the federal documents.

Prosecutors filed a motion seeking a DNA sample from Orrego-Savala, arguing it could help determine whether he was in the truck that hit Jackson and Monroe. Prosecutors also said the sample would confirm his identity, noting his various aliases.

When Orrego-Savala appeared Tuesday before a judge who advised him of his rights, he told the judge through an interpreter: “I wasn’t driving the car. I don’t know why I am here,” Indianapolis television station WRTV reported.

A police news release did not mention the presence of anyone else in the pickup truck.

___

Associated Press writer Tom Davies contributed to this report from Indianapolis.

___

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on a suspected drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man (all times local):

10:50 a.m.

An Indiana prosecutor is decrying President Donald Trump and others for politicizing the case of a Guatemalan man charged in a drunken-driving crash that killed an Indianapolis Colts player and his Uber driver.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry says he’s disheartened by what he calls “ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary” surrounding the Sunday crash.

The Democrat is handling the criminal case against the suspect, 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala. He was charged in Marion County on Wednesday with four felony counts.

Curry says comments from Trump and others about the man’s immigration status fail to acknowledge the deaths of men killed: Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe.

Trump tweeted about the case Tuesday, saying it’s “so disgraceful” that Jackson was killed by a person who was in the U.S. illegally. Trump also prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

__

10:30 a.m.

The attorney for a Guatemalan man charged in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man says his client is distraught and confused.

Defense attorney Jorge Torres spoke Wednesday after a Marion County judge entered a not guilty plea for his client, 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala.

The case has gained attention from President Donald Trump and others in the immigration debate. Authorities say Orrego-Savala has twice been deported from the U.S.

Torres says his client’s immigration status has no bearing on the crash case. He notes that Orrego-Savala has been living in Indiana for several years and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area.

Orrego-Savala is facing four felony counts stemming from the Sunday crash. The charges include causing death while driving intoxicated. The two most serious counts each carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

___

9:35 a.m.

A Guatemalan man living illegally in the U.S. said little as he faced a judge after being charged in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and an Uber driver.

A Marion County judge entered a not guilty plea for 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala during a court hearing Wednesday.

He’s charged with four felony counts related to the crash early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. The charges are causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

Orrego-Savala’s only responses in court were answering through an interpreter as the judge explained the proceedings and charges.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and his 54-year-old Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, were standing outside Monroe’s car along the interstate when they were struck by a pickup truck Orrego-Savala was driving.

__

9 a.m.

Prosecutors have charged an immigrant who was living illegally in Indiana in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver.

Marion County prosecutors on Wednesday charged 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala with four felony counts related to the Sunday crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis.

The citizen from Guatemala was due in court Wednesday morning for an initial hearing on the charges of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala was deported from the U.S. in 2007 and 2009, and he was again living illegally in the U.S., in Indianapolis.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and 54-year-old Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe were standing outside Monroe’s car along I-70 when they were struck by a pickup truck that Orrego-Savala was driving.

__

7:50 a.m.

Federal authorities have filed a new immigration charge against a Guatemalan man suspected in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man in Indiana.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced the change Tuesday night, ahead of an expected announcement Wednesday on possible state charges against 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala.

Orrego-Savala was arrested following the crash early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Investigators say Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, were standing outside Monroe’s car when they were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and 2009, and was living illegally in the U.S. at the time of the crash.

He’s charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. Federal prosecutors spell his name as Orrego-Zavala, but the compliant lists “Orrego-Savala” as among his aliases.

___

12:40 a.m.

An immigrant who was living illegally in Indiana when he was arrested in a suspected drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man faces a court hearing.

Marion County prosecutors planned to announce Wednesday before 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala’s initial hearing whether he’ll face criminal charges in Sunday’s crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala, was deported in 2007 and 2009. They say he was again living illegally in the U.S.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and 54-year-old Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe were standing outside Monroe’s car along I-70 after Jackson became ill while Monroe was transporting him. They say Jackson and Monroe were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala.

Investigators say they believe Orrego-Savala was intoxicated.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry says he’s disheartened by what he calls “ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary” surrounding the Sunday crash.

The Democrat is handling the criminal case against the suspect, 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala. He was charged in Marion County on Wednesday with four felony counts.

Curry says comments from Trump and others about the man’s immigration status fail to acknowledge the deaths of men killed: Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe.

Trump tweeted about the case Tuesday, saying it’s “so disgraceful” that Jackson was killed by a person who was in the U.S. illegally. Trump also prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

__

10:30 a.m.

The attorney for a Guatemalan man charged in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man says his client is distraught and confused.

Defense attorney Jorge Torres spoke Wednesday after a Marion County judge entered a not guilty plea for his client, 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala.

The case has gained attention from President Donald Trump and others in the immigration debate. Authorities say Orrego-Savala has twice been deported from the U.S.

Torres says his client’s immigration status has no bearing on the crash case. He notes that Orrego-Savala has been living in Indiana for several years and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area.

Orrego-Savala is facing four felony counts stemming from the Sunday crash. The charges include causing death while driving intoxicated. The two most serious counts each carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

___

9:35 a.m.

A Guatemalan man living illegally in the U.S. said little as he faced a judge after being charged in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and an Uber driver.

A Marion County judge entered a not guilty plea for 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala during a court hearing Wednesday.

He’s charged with four felony counts related to the crash early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. The charges are causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

Orrego-Savala’s only responses in court were answering through an interpreter as the judge explained the proceedings and charges.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and his 54-year-old Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, were standing outside Monroe’s car along the interstate when they were struck by a pickup truck Orrego-Savala was driving.

__

9 a.m.

Prosecutors have charged an immigrant who was living illegally in Indiana in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and his Uber driver.

Marion County prosecutors on Wednesday charged 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala with four felony counts related to the Sunday crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis.

The citizen from Guatemala was due in court Wednesday morning for an initial hearing on the charges of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala was deported from the U.S. in 2007 and 2009, and he was again living illegally in the U.S., in Indianapolis.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and 54-year-old Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe were standing outside Monroe’s car along I-70 when they were struck by a pickup truck that Orrego-Savala was driving.

__

7:50 a.m.

Federal authorities have filed a new immigration charge against a Guatemalan man suspected in a drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man in Indiana.

U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced the change Tuesday night, ahead of an expected announcement Wednesday on possible state charges against 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala.

Orrego-Savala was arrested following the crash early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Investigators say Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, were standing outside Monroe’s car when they were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and 2009, and was living illegally in the U.S. at the time of the crash.

He’s charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. Federal prosecutors spell his name as Orrego-Zavala, but the compliant lists “Orrego-Savala” as among his aliases.

___

12:40 a.m.

An immigrant who was living illegally in Indiana when he was arrested in a suspected drunken-driving crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man faces a court hearing.

Marion County prosecutors planned to announce Wednesday before 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala’s initial hearing whether he’ll face criminal charges in Sunday’s crash along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis.

Authorities say Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala, was deported in 2007 and 2009. They say he was again living illegally in the U.S.

Police say the 26-year-old Jackson and 54-year-old Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe were standing outside Monroe’s car along I-70 after Jackson became ill while Monroe was transporting him. They say Jackson and Monroe were struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by Orrego-Savala.

Investigators say they believe Orrego-Savala was intoxicated.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana prosecutor blasted President Donald Trump on Wednesday for politicizing the case of an immigrant illegally living in the U.S. and charged in a drunken crash that killed Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson and another man, saying his and others’ comments were “ghoulish and inappropriate.”

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said his office would “vigorously prosecute” the case regardless of the suspect’s immigration status. Curry criticized Trump and others who cited the case as part of the nation’s immigration debate, noting that “two innocent men lost their lives in this horrible incident.”

Curry filed felony charges earlier in the day against the suspect, Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala who has twice been deported from the U.S. Orrego-Savala is accused of driving the pickup truck that hit Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, early Sunday in Indianapolis.

“We are disheartened that ghoulish and inappropriate public commentary has politicized this tragedy,” Curry, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Much of such commentary, including tweets by the president, fails to acknowledge that both Edwin Jackson and Jeffrey Monroe lost their lives on Sunday. We will simply seek justice on behalf of the families of those two victims.”

Trump drew added attention to the case on Twitter, calling the highway collision “disgraceful,” and prodded Democrats to work with him on illegal immigration and border security.

Orrego-Savala is charged with two counts each of causing death while driving intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The two more serious counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The 37-year-old said little during his initial court hearing Wednesday, responding through an interpreter as a judge explained the proceedings and charges. The judge set his bond at $200,000 after entering a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Investigators said Orrego-Savala was living illegally in the U.S. at the time of Sunday’s crash. Late Tuesday, he was charged by federal prosecutors with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. He faces up to 10 years in prison in that case, which would be handled after any state charges are resolved.

His defense attorney, Jorge Torres, said Orrego-Savala’s immigration status has no bearing on the drunken-driving case. He questioned whether his client could get a fair trial given the local publicity about the case and his immigration issues. Torres declined to comment on Trump’s tweets.

Torres said his client has been living and doing construction work in the Indianapolis area for several years.

“He’s very distraught to say the least,” Torres said. “He’s very confused.”

Jackson’s family planned no response to Trump’s tweets about the crash and the suspect’s immigration status, according to a family spokesman.

“We’ll let the politicians do the politics while the family is just going to grieve and circle the wagons and try to heal from this tragic situation,” Atlanta attorney Daniel Meachum said Tuesday. “The family is in shock, as you can imagine.”

Prosecutors allege Orrego-Savala was driving the vehicle that crashed into Jackson and Monroe as the two men stood outside Monroe’s car early Sunday along Interstate 70 in Indianapolis. Monroe was transporting Jackson for Uber, the ride-sharing service, and had pulled over after the 26-year-old football player became ill, investigators said.

Orrego-Savala was arrested shortly after the crash. A blood test conducted at a hospital determined he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Indiana’s legal limit for driving, according to court documents.

Orrego-Savala was deported in 2007 and again in 2009. In 2005, he was convicted for driving under the influence in Redwood City, California. He also has numerous other misdemeanor convictions and arrests in California and Indiana, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nicole Alberico.

In the 2005 case, he pleaded no contest to two separate drunken-driving offenses and was given a brief jail sentence, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Orrego-Savala remained jailed Wednesday in Indianapolis. Federal and county prosecutors spelled his last name as “Orrego-Zavala” in charging documents, but his attorney said his name is spelled Orrego-Savala, a spelling that’s listed among his aliases in the federal documents.

Prosecutors filed a motion seeking a DNA sample from Orrego-Savala, arguing it could help determine whether he was in the truck that hit Jackson and Monroe. Prosecutors also said the sample would confirm his identity, noting his various aliases.

When Orrego-Savala appeared Tuesday before a judge who advised him of his rights, he told the judge through an interpreter: “I wasn’t driving the car. I don’t know why I am here,” Indianapolis television station WRTV reported.

A police news release did not mention the presence of anyone else in the pickup truck.

———

Associated Press writer Tom Davies contributed to this report from Indianapolis.

———

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