Updated May 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Police officer in George Floyd killing charged with third-degree murder

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A protester with a sign with George Floyd's last words. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer involved in the killing of George Floyd, was charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

The state of play: Freeman said that the delay in Chauvin's arrest, which came four days after Floyd's death on Monday, was due to the need to collect sufficient evidence — and that it was "by far the fastest" his office had charged a police officer. He added that he also anticipated charges against the other three officers involved in Floyd's arrest and death, but refused to elaborate.

The complaint against Chauvin says that Floyd's autopsy did not "support a diagnosis of traumatic strangulation or asphyxiation," but noted that his underlying health conditions, the police restraint and any potential intoxicants in his system all "likely contributed to his death."
It also noted that Chauvin had his knee on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds in total — two minutes and 53 seconds of that time was after Floyd was not responsive.

Read the full complaint against Chauvin:

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Police officer in George Floyd killing charged with third-degree murder

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