US protests peaceful after 3 more police officers arrested
DEMONSTRATIONS across the US to condemn racism and police abuses remained large but mostly without the violence of previous nights on the eve of a memorial service for George Floyd yesterday that kicks off a series of events to mourn the man whose death empowered a national movement.
The calmer protests followed a decision by prosecutors to charge three more police officers and file a new, tougher charge against the officer at the center of the case.
The most serious new charge was an accusation of second-degree murder against Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, who was caught on video pressing his knee to Floyd’s neck. The three other officers at the scene were charged for the first time with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to four decades in prison.
Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, counts that still stand.
The new second-degree murder charge alleges that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death without intent while committing another felony, namely third-degree assault. It carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, compared with a maximum of 25 years for third-degree murder.
The other officers — Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — face the same maximum penalties for aiding and abetting. All three were in custody by Wednesday evening.
The move punctuated an unprecedented week in modern American history, in which largely peaceful protests took place in communities of all sizes but were rocked by bouts of violence, including deadly attacks on officers, rampant thefts and arson in some places. In Minneapolis alone, more than 220 buildings were damaged or burned, with property damage topping US$55 million.
Nationwide, more than 10,000 people have been arrested in connection with unrest, an Associated Press tally shows. More than a dozen deaths have been reported, though the circumstances in many cases are still being sorted out.
Hundreds of protesters were in New York City’s Washington Square Park when the charges were announced. “It’s not enough,” protester Jonathan Roldan said, insisting all four officers should have been charged from the start. “Right now, we’re still marching because it’s not enough that they got arrested. There needs to be systematic change.”
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released the full autopsy report on Floyd, which noted he had previously tested positive for COVID-19 but was apparently asymptomatic. A summary had said Floyd had a heart attack while being restrained.
Floyd’s name has become a rallying cry in other countries, too, unleashing protests against police violence and racial injustice. In the US, protests were still big, but largely peaceful, and most police forces kept a mainly hands-off policy, even after curfews took effect. Some demonstrators lay down to represent the amount of time a white police officer pressed a knee into Floyd’s neck.
The first of three memorial gatherings for Floyd was planned for yesterday in Minneapolis. His body will then travel to Raeford, North Carolina, where he was born 46 years ago, for a public viewing and private family service on Saturday. There will be a service on Monday in Houston, where Floyd spent most of his life. A private burial will follow.
President Donald Trump has pushed the nation’s governors to take a hard line against the violence. He again tweeted on Wednesday: “LAW & ORDER!”
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis denounced a militarization of the response to civil unrest. Current Defense Secretary Mark Esper also said he did not back the use of troops to patrol the country.
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try,” Mattis said. “Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort.”
(Agencies)