All four of the former police officers involved in the killing of George Floyd face criminal charges, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said this afternoon.
Why it matters: The U.S. has been rocked by nine days of nationwide protests calling for justice.
The charges:
- Charges against Derek Chauvin have been upgraded to second-degree murder. He's the officer who put his knee on Floyd's neck and kept it there for almost 9 minutes despite pleas that Floyd couldn't breathe.
- Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng and Tou Thao were charged with aiding and abetting murder.
- All four were fired by the Minneapolis Police Department last week.
The big picture: There is a long history in the U.S. of police not being charged or being acquitted despite killing black men.
- “Every single link in the prosecutorial chain must be strong, because trying this case will not be an easy thing. Winning a conviction will be hard,” Ellison said.
- Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump called the charges "a significant step forward on the road to justice, and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd’s body was laid to rest."
- "That is a source of peace for George’s family in this painful time."
- "Attorney General Ellison has informed the family that his office will continue to investigate and will upgrade the charges to first-degree murder if the evidence supports it."
What's next: The former presidents have been speaking out, with President Jimmy Carter releasing a statement today that joins George W. Bush's statement yesterday.
- Former President Barack Obama will address the nation at 5 p.m. ET.
