George Floyd's death has sparked extensive nationwide protests and riots across cities in the US, followed by massive protests across London and Paris calling to end police brutality and racist injustice, as they cried for justice for George Floyd and marched in solidarity for the entire black community. Their voices have been heard as all the four ex Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's death are now faced with criminal charges.
The main culprit Derek Chauvin who was first charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter for directly causing the death of George Floyd, by choking him with his knee on his neck for exactly 8 minutes 46 seconds and continued even when he was non-responsive for approximately 2 and half minutes is now charged with second-degree murder, this means his charge has been upgraded, he is still faced with third-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. The upgrade occurs after new independent autopsy result obtained by the lawyer hired by George Floyd's family shows that George Floyd didn't die of Asphyxiation an underlying heart disease as shown by the former autopsy result but died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest caused by restraint and neck compression.
The other three officers involved, Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, according to Us court record are all charged with aiding and Abetting second-degree murder, they have been arrested are all in police custody.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the new charges saying,
"George Floyd's plea- that his struggle to survive went unrecognized and unaided by not just one but all four officers will live forever as the most chilling moments in our city history. Failing to act amounted to a failure to recognize George's humanity as Chief Arradondo has stated, silence is complicity and complicity cannot be tolerated."
