New witnesses called in Floyd murder case
A new federal grand jury has been impaneled in Minneapolis and the Justice Department has called new witnesses as part of its investigation of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who will go on trial in state court next month on a murder charge for the death of George Floyd, according to two people with direct knowledge of the investigation.
The fresh slate of witnesses subpoenaed is an early sign that the federal investigation into the death of Floyd, which began last year and then languished, is being reinvigorated.
Chauvin, who is white, was seen in video footage kneeling for more than nine minutes on the neck of Floyd, a Black man, as he begged for his life. The video set off protests across the United States, some of which led to violence in cities including Minneapolis; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; and Washington, D.C.
Separately, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has agreed to consider a request from prosecutors to reinstate a third-degree murder charge — which would require proof that someone’s conduct was “eminently dangerous to others,” not just to Floyd — against Chauvin.