Police officer faces new charge over Floyd death

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that Derek Chauvin, the former police officer arrested after the killing of George Floyd, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Mr Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes before he died, was initially charged with third-degree murder.

On Wednesday, three other former police officers – Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, who were with Mr Chauvin at the time of the killing in Minneapolis – were charged with aiding and abetting murder.

“George Floyd mattered. He was loved, his family was important and his life had value,” Mr Ellison said.

He is a former US congressman and the first Muslim to hold such position.

“We will seek justice for him and for you and we will find it,” Mr Ellison said.

“We are moving as expeditiously, quickly and effectively as we can, but I need to protect this prosecution.

“I am not going to create a situation where somebody can say this was a rush to judgment.”

An updated court complaint said Mr Chauvin killed Floyd “without intent to effect the death of any person, while committing or attempting to commit a felony offence”.

Under US law, second-degree murder and aiding and abetting a murder carry sentences of up to 40 years in prison.

A lawyer for the Floyd family, Benjamin Crump, said the announcement was bittersweet.

“We are deeply gratified that Mr Ellison took decisive action, arresting and charging all the officers involved in George Floyd’s death and upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder,” Mr Crump tweeted.

Floyd’s death has led to protests across the world against systemic racism and police brutality against black men in the US.

Protesters who vented their anger in major US cities during the past week had demanded the case be widened to include all the officers present at the time of Floyd’s killing.

“This is another important step for justice,” Amy Klobuchar, a US senator from Minnesota and a potential running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the November 3 election, said.

Tens of thousands of people have defied curfews to take to the streets across the US to protest about Floyd’s death and acts of police brutality against African Americans.

Bands of police in riot gear have patrolled American cities with other heavily armed officers, shouting at protesters while helicopters roar overhead.

The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful, with less looting and vandalism on Wednesday night.