• Artists
    • Music
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Contact

George Floyds relatives watch as 4 officers charged in killing appear in court

June 30, 2020 Uncategorized

The four fired Minneapolis police officers criminally charged in the death of George Floyd appeared before a judge on Monday for a brief pre-trial hearing that was also attended by Floyd’s aunt and uncle, who sat in the front row.

Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Kiernan Lane and Tou Thao appeared for separate, back-to-back pre-trial hearings in a courtroom in downtown Minneapolis.

Judge Peter Cahill instructed both prosecutors and defense attorneys to limit pre-trial publicity about the case.

Thao’s attorney, Robert Paule, said in court that he is considering a motion for change of venue due to what he described as prejudicial pre-trial publicity. He noted that public comments already made about the case by President Donald Trump, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Hennepin County attorney’s office, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and Mayor Jacob Frey could jeopardize a fair trial in Hennepin County.

“We are just as interested in a fair trial,” said Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Matthew Frank.

While Cahill stopped short of issuing a gag order, he warned he could do so if his instructions were not followed.

On Friday, Cahill barred news cameras and audio equipment during pre-trial proceedings after expressing worries that publicity could taint the pool of potential jurors. He said he has yet to decide on whether to allow news cameras in the courtroom during the actual trial.

Ex-Minneapolis Police officers from left, Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Kiernan Lane.

Ex-Minneapolis Police officers from left, Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Kiernan Lane.Hennepin County Jail/AFP via Getty Images

Chauvin, who remains in custody, appeared in court via video. Thao, who is also in custody, was physically in the courtroom, but stood inside a phone-booth-like wooden cubicle during the hearing.

Kueng and Lane, who have been released on bail, were both in the courtroom for the proceedings.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd. Lane, Kueng and Thao are all charged with second-degree aiding and abetting felony murder and second-degree aiding and abetting manslaughter.

None of the former officers has yet entered a plea. But court documents show Kueng intends to plead not guilty and will argue self-defense.

Frank informed the court that prosecutors have compiled about 8,000 pages of discovery material in the case.

Cahill set the defendants’ next court appearance for Sept. 11 and tentatively scheduled a trial date for March 8, 2021. He asked Chauvin if it would be OK with him to extend the timeline for those dates given the voluminous amount of discovery evidence.

“Yes, your honor,” answered Chauvin in the only statement he made at the hearing.

Cahill has yet to decide if the men will be tried separately or together.

Floyd, a Black man, was arrested on May 25 outside a convenience store in Minneapolis and accused of using counterfeit money to purchase cigarettes, according to police.

George Floyd is pictured in an undated photo released by the office of Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump.

George Floyd is pictured in an undated photo released by the office of Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump.Courtesy Ben Crump Law

During the arrests, Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer, dug his knee into the back of Floyd’s neck. Floyd repeatedly called out, “I can’t breathe,” before he lost consciousness, according to a criminal complaint. Floyd was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Lane, 37, allegedly held Floyd’s legs down while Kueng, 26, allegedly held Floyd’s back as Chauvin allegedly dug his knee into Floyd’s neck, the criminal complaint said. Thao, 34, allegedly watched the entire incident with his hands in his pockets, according to the complaint.

The arrest was captured on citizen cellphone video that was posted on Facebook and went viral, sparking protests and violence in Minneapolis and across the nation. The episode has also become a rallying cry against police brutality and the defunding of law enforcement agencies.

Floyd’s death followed a long string of police-involved killings of Black people in the United States.

The four officers involved in Floyd’s fatal arrest were fired from the police department. Two of the officers, Lane and Kueng, were rookies.

In the courtroom on Monday were two members of Floyd’s family, his aunt, Angela Harrelson, and his uncle, Selwyn Jones. At one point, Cahill admonished Floyd’s relatives for reacting from the gallery during the hearing.

Outside the courthouse, Jones described the emotions he felt during the hearing, saying, “Absolutely crazy that I sat six feet away from the person who murdered my nephew.”

Back

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The inequities of PPP: Megachurches, large corporations receive money ahead of small businesses
  • Newborn giraffe dies when mother accidentally steps on its neck after giving birth
  • Capitol rioter who allegedly posted Outside Pelosis office to Instagram arrested
  • Russia extends Navalnys detention as outcry over his arrest grows
  • Poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny detained upon arrival in Moscow

Recent Comments

  • Roscoe on Egypt can demand return of King Tut statue up for auction: Former antiquities chief
  • sugavibes.com on Construction fences going up around White House for a long planned-renovation project

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018

Categories

  • Fresh News
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Grab our Monthly Newsletter and stay tuned

We are social

 
 
 
sugavibes-entertainment-nigerian-music-site

2019 © Copyright @ SugaVibes Entertainment
Site Design by 
KennethBen.com