George Floyd killing: All four police officers charged
The former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee into the neck of George Floyd has had his charge upgraded to second-degree murder.
The three other police officers present during the killing have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
Derek Chauvin, the man at the forefront of the investigation, had previously been charged with third-degree murder.
This is the first time police have announced any charges against the three officers who were present at the scene. They are now being taken into custody and will face the same potential maximum sentence as Chauvin.
“We are working together on this case with only one goal — justice for George Floyd,” Minnesota Attorney-General Keith Ellison said at a media conference.
He thanked the community for giving prosecutors “the time and space we needed” to investigate Mr Floyd’s death and settle on the correct charges.
“I now ask for continued patience. This case continues to be under investigation. We will not be able to say very much publicly, except that we encourage anyone who believes they have evidence to come forward and be cooperative,” Mr Ellison said.
“Our job is to seek justice and to obtain a conviction, not to make statements to the press.
“I also ask for your trust that we are pursuing justice by every legal and ethical means available to us.
“The investigation is ongoing, we are following the path of all the evidence, wherever it leads.”
He said while prosecutors would aim to work as “quickly and thoroughly” as possible, it may take “months” to come to a conclusion.
“The reason thoroughness is important is because every single link in the prosecutorial chain must be strong,” he said, pointing out that only once before has a police officer from Minnesota been successfully tried for murder.
“Trying this case will not be an easy thing. Winning a conviction will be hard.
“I say this not because we doubt our resources or our ability. In fact, we’re confident in what we’re doing. But history does show that there are clear challenges here.
“It is better to make sure that we have a solid case, fully investigated, before we go to trial than to rush it.”
Reporters asked why Chauvin wasn’t charged with the higher offence of first-degree murder, to which Mr Ellison explained that such a charge would require premeditation to be proven.
The second-degree charge will be easier, because it covers an “unintentional” death caused during an underlying felony offence – in this case assault.