George Floyd murder: ex-cops hit with fresh federal charges

A US federal grand jury unveiled fresh indictments on Friday against the four police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose death sparked anti-racism protests across the world.

The charge sheet said Derek Chauvin and the three other ex-Minneapolis police officers violated Floyd's civil rights.

Floyd gasped "I can't breathe" while Chauvin held his knee on his neck as he lay handcuffed on the ground. 

The video, filmed by a teenage bystander, went viral as Black Americans demanded police reform.

Chauvin has already been convicted of the 46-year-old former nightclub bouncer's murder and manslaughter.

But his lawyers say the publicity surrounding the case denied him his right to a fair trial. They want the case to be re-run.

What does this new charge sheet say?

The new federal indictments accuse Chauvin of violating Floyd's rights to be protected from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer.

Two of Chauvin’s fellow officers — Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng —  are alleged to have "willfully" failed to intervene to stop Chauvin from using unreasonable force.

All three ex-officers, along with the fourth, Thomas Lane, are accused of letting Floyd die by willfully failing to aid him when they saw Floyd "lying on the ground in clear need of medical care."

The Justice Department's prosecution accuses them of violating a federal law that forbid government officials from abusing their authority.

Floyd was being detained by the cops on suspicion of having used a counterfeit $20 (€16) bill at a local store.

Chauvin is set to be sentenced next month and could face up to 40 years in prison.

He was also hit with a separate indictment on Friday in which he is accused of holding a 14-year-old boy down by the throat in 2017 and striking the child multiple times across the head with a flashlight.

Chauvin is accused of holding his knee on the neck and upper back of the boy, even after the teen "was lying prone, handcuffed, and unresisting."

What did the Floyd family lawyers say?

"We are encouraged by these charges and eager to see continued justice in this historic case that will impact Black citizens and all Americans for generations to come," the attorneys for Floyd's family, Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci and L. Chris Stewart, said in a statement.

Defense lawyers are still to comment on the new charges.

These federal criminal indictments are separate from a US Justice Department probe into how the Minneapolis Police Department operates.

It was announced by Attorney General Merrick Garland a day after Chauvin was convicted.

Garland said that probe will assess whether the police force "engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, including during protests."

How does a federal indictment work?

In the United States, federal prosecutors obtain indictments through a grand jury.

The body is usually made up of 16 to 23 ordinary citizens within the community.

They listen to evidence and testimony from witnesses that are presented by the prosecutor.

Members of the grand jury can then ask questions of and subpoena witnesses or documents on their own.

Once they hear all the evidence, they will take a vote on whether or not to indict and if enough probable cause exists to believe the defendant is guilty.

Friday's statement said these new federal charges against the four ex-officers "allege violations of the US Constitution, rather than of state law."

jf/aw (AP, Reuters)