On Wednesday, June 3, Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis policeman, who was responsible for George Floyd’s death was hit with an upgraded murder charge of second-degree murder.
Keith Ellison, Minnesota attorney-general announced the new charges saying, that they believe the evidence available to them now supports the stronger charge of second-degree murder.
Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane, Derek’s colleagues, all whites, are now also charged with aiding and abetting murder with a bail term of $1 million.
All four former officers are now in custody.
Chauvin will appear before the jury June 8 and all three others are billed to have their days in court on Thursday afternoon local time according to the court records cited by CNN.
The attorney-general Keith Ellison however, warned the Minneapolis community that bringing a case against a police officer is always challenging saying that “trying this case will not be an easy thing, winning a conviction will be hard.”
It is also noteworthy that Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and attorney-general Keith Ellison are the only Minnesota prosecutor who has ever successfully prosecuted a police officer for murder.
They are confident in what they are but noted that there are clear challenges.
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