George Floyd's murder at the hands of the police became a massive International story back in May, as the video of the incident made its way to the internet. The visceral imagery of the killing shook people to their core which immediately led to widespread protests against police brutality. Residents in Minnesota demanded that the four officers involved be charged, and that's exactly what happened as J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, Derek Chauvin, and Tou Thao are all awaiting trial.
Today, the four were in court as lawyers and prosecutors discussed whether or not each officer should be tried separately. Considering Chauvin was the one directly responsible for Floyd's death, lawyers for the other three officers asked for separate trials. Meanwhile, the prosecution demanded that the officers be tried together as they are all culpable. The prosecution also argued that separate trials would be a detriment to Floyd's grieving family.
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“Here, all four Defendants worked together to murder Floyd: Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane pinned Floyd face-down, while Thao stopped the crowd from intervening, enabling the other Defendants to maintain their positions,” prosecutors said. “Defendants also discussed and coordinated their actions throughout the incident."
For now, it remains to be seen how the trial will proceed, so stay tuned for updates as we will be sure to deliver those to you.
[Via]
