Federal Jury Indicts 4 Officers In Connection To George Floyd's Death

Four former Minneapolis Police officers were indicted Friday (May 7) by a federal grand jury in connection to the death of George Floyd.

The indictment accuses Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane of depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights when they saw him lying on the ground "in clear need" of medical aid, but instead "willfully failed to aid Floyd, thereby acting with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm," ABC News reports.

Chauvin -- who was convicted last month of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection to Floyd's death in May 2020 -- has now been charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law in relation to the federal grand jury indictment on Friday.

"Chauvin held his left knee across George Floyd's neck, and his right knee on Floyd's back and arm, as George Floyd lay on the ground, handcuffed and unresisting, and kept his knees on Floyd's neck and body even after Floyd became unresponsive," the indictment states via ABC News. "This offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of George Floyd."

Thao and Kueng were also separately charged in count two of the indictment for depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights, as the grand jury accuses both former police officers of being "aware that [Chauvin] was holding his knee across George Floyd's neck as Floyd lay handcuffed and unresisting, and that Defendant Chauvin continued to hold Floyd to the ground even after Floyd became unresponsive, and the defendants willfully failed to intervene to stop Defendant Chauvin's use of unreasonable force."

Thao, Kueng and Lane are still awaiting trial in relation to Floyd's death. The three former officers were initially charged in June 2020.

Additionally, Chauvin was also named in a separate indictment filed on Thursday (May 6) that accuses the former police officer of deprivation of rights under color of law for allegedly violating civil rights of a 14-year-old during the arrest and neck restraint of the boy in 2017.

Photo: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via the Associated Press


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