After the killing of the unarmed George Floyd and the conviction of the main perpetrator, three other ex-cops from the US state of Minnesota are on trial.
Minneapolis – The trial of the three ex-police officers who, along with the convicted Derek Chauvin, were involved in the killing of the unarmed George Floyd in May 2020 began in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Thursday (01/20/2022). Jury selection in the trial of ex-cops Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane began in a federal court in the city of Saint Paul on Thursday.
The federal judiciary accuses the three ex-police officers of violating Floyd’s constitutional civil rights. Chauvin had kneed Floyd, who was arrested on counterfeit money charges, for nine and a half minutes, although the 46-year-old repeatedly complained that he could not breathe. Kueng and Lane also pinned Floyd to the ground while Thao kept passersby at a distance.
Killing of George Floyd: Cell phone video caused outrage around the world
One of the witnesses captured Floyd’s agonizing death on a cellphone video that was later released and caused international outrage. As a result, nationwide protests against racism and police violence began in the United States. Floyd’s words “I can’t breathe” – went around the world and became a motto of the anti-racism movement Black Lives Matter.
After Floyd’s death, both the Minnesota and federal judiciaries initiated parallel proceedings. Such an approach is rare in the US, but possible. At the state level, Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison for second-degree murder last year. In the federal trial in December, he pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s civil rights. The judiciary accuses Chauvin of disregarding Floyd’s constitutional right not to be subjected to “disproportionate force at the hands of a police officer”.
Civil Rights Violated: Derek Chauvin’s Colleagues Charged in Federal and State Courts
The penalty will be determined at a later date. Chauvin faces 25 years in prison in the federal case. Both prison sentences can be served at the same time. After the federal trial that has now started, the three other ex-police officers are also to be tried at state level.
Thao and Kueng are charged in both trials with failing to stop Chauvin. The two ex-cops and Lane are also accused of failing to provide first aid to the unconscious Floyd. The three ex-police officers are also charged with second-degree murder in the state-level trial. This process is scheduled to begin in June. (ska with AFP)
