BLM: Update on George Floyd

[C-40]

Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder and manslaughter in death of George Floyd

Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday on charges of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. The jury of five men and seven women deliberated for four hours Monday afternoon and resumed deliberating Tuesday morning, according to the court. They were sequestered from the public during deliberations. Chauvin, 45, had pleded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The deliberations began after three weeks of testimony in one of the most closely watched cases of the Black Lives Mattr era. The prosecution's case against Chauvin featured 38 witnesses as they sought to show the former Minneapolis Police officer committed murder when he kneeled on the neck and back of Floyd, handcuffed and prone on the street, for 9 minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020. Six of the jurors are White, four are Black and two are multiracial, according to information released by the court.

Click Here For Complete Story

Jury finds Derek Chauvin guilty of two murder counts, one manslaughter count in George Floyd verdict

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter by a jury Tuesday for his role in the murder of George Floyd last May outside of a local convenience store. The death of Floyd, who was Black, and the video that showed Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes, became a catalyst for the sports world's racial and social justice movement last summer. Chauvin faces a 40-year maximum sentence for the second-degree unintentional murder conviction, a 25-year sentence for third-degree murder and a 10-year sentence for second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin's bail was immediately revoked, and his sentencing will be in eight weeks.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[C-40]

Sign at George Floyd Square gives list of special orders for white visitors

The square where George Floyd was murdered by ex-Minnesota cop Derek Chavin now has a sign with special rules for white people. The placard at the entrance of George Floyd Square in Minnesota calls it “a sacred space for community, public grief, and protest,” telling visitors to “honor the space as a place to connect and grieve as caring humans.” But most of the instructions are listed under five orders “for white people in particular.” “Decenter yourself and come to listen, learn, mourn, and witness,” the first bullet points reads, adding, “Remember you are here to support, not to be supported.” “Be mindful of whether your volume, pace, and movements are supporting or undermining your efforts to decenter yourself,” the second orders says. “Bring your own process to other white folks so that you will not harm BIPOC,” it says, using an acronym for black, indigenous and people of color. White visitors are ordered to “seek to contribute to the energy of the space, rather than drain it.” “Bring your own process to other white folks so that you will not harm BIPOC,” it says, using an acronym for black, indigenous and people of color. A fourth instruction tells people to use caution taking photos for social media, especially without consent from people in them. It is not clear why that is aimed “in particular” at white people. “If you witness white folks doing problematic things, speak up with compassion to take the burden of off [sic] Black folks and our siblings of color whenever appropriate,” the final instruction reads.

For Complete Story Click Here

 

[C-40]

Biden tells George Floyd's young daughter that her 'daddy changed the world'

Following the guilty verdicts for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, President Joe Biden said he spoke to Floyd’s young daughter on Tuesday. In a televised speech Tuesday night, Biden called the verdict a "step foward" but added that the nation still has to reckon with systemic racism in all walks of life, including policing. He said that he was able to speak with Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, following the verdict. Biden recalled meeting the then-6-year-old at her father’s funeral last year and telling her “how brave she was” while holding her hand. Biden said he told her that Floyd is “looking down on you, he’s so proud.” “She said to me, and I’ll never forget it, ‘Daddy changed the world,’” Biden said. “I told her this afternoon, ‘Daddy did change the world.’” “Let that be his legacy,” he said.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[C-40]

What's next for the 3 other ex-officers charged in George Floyd's death

Left to right: Former officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are set to stand trial in August.​

With Derek Chauvin's convictions secured, the three other former Minneapolis Police officers on scene during George Floyd's death last May are set to stand trial in August. J. Alexander Kueng, 27, Thomas Lane, 38, and Tou Thao, 35, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter connected to Floyd's death. They have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have also appealed to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against them. The four officers had initially been set to stand trial together, but Judge Peter Cahill ruled in January that Chauvin's trial would be held separately, citing limits on courtroom attendance due to Covid-19 precautions. First, jurors in the upcoming trial will be instructed not to consider Chauvin's guilty verdicts, but they will likely be aware of them because of the trial's publicity. Chauvin's conviction is also important in that an acquittal would have been "disastrous" for the prosecution's case against the three other officers, in terms of appearances and public opinion, according to CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig. The upcoming trial will be largely similar to Chauvin's, likely featuring many of the same bystander witnesses, use-of-force experts and medical experts. But because there are three defendants each making their own arguments, the trial will likely be longer and more convoluted than Chauvin's, Honig explained.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[C-40]

Chauvin’s violent track record as a police officer long preceded killing George Floyd

While Derek Chauvin will face the consequences for the killing of George Floyd, this was not the first time Chauvin used excessive force during his career as a police officer.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[C-40]

Federal grand jury indicts 4 ex-officers in George Floyd's death

Responding to the indictment of four former Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the move "entirely appropriate." Ellison went onto note that state prosecutors are still planning to present their case against the three other former Minneapolis Police officers involved in George Floyd's death. Those former officers are J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao. In April, a jury found former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter charges in the death George Floyd.

3 ex-Minneapolis police officers have posted bond after federal court appearance this morning

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane appeared with their attorneys via video conference in federal court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright this morning. They were indicted by a federal grand jury for actions connected to the death of George Floyd. Thao and Kueng were indicted as defendants who “willfully failed to intervene to stop Defendant Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.” Thao, Kueng and Lane are accused of “deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs,” according to the indictment. The three former officers were released on $25,000 unsecured bond. Derek Chauvin, who was also indicted by the federal grand jury, remains in jail after being convicted in a state trial.

Click Here For Full Story

 

[C-40]

Plans for George Floyd Memorial Center in downtown Raleigh formally unveiled

George Floyd's family wants to associate his name with a path to progress for local young people, through a proposed memorial center in his name. Thomas McLaurin, Floyd's cousin, described the goals of the George Floyd Memorial Center this way: "We want them to know that they can make a difference! You don't have to die to make a difference. We want them to live and make a difference, and see things that they could be in our community moving forward." They've chosen the day of his death, May 25th, as what they call a day of enlightenment. The letters D.O.E. -- standing for Day of Enlightenment -- are on merchandise, including shirts and masks, they're selling with a goal of building the center with the proceeds as well as any additional funding they can arrange from a variety of sources. Floyd was a native of Fayetteville but organizers of the memorial center plan to build it in Raleigh. Plans call for a museum and leadership academy inside the center, along with a scholarship fund. They believe those features and more can help guide the trajectory of young lives in a positive direction.

Click Here For Full Story

 

[C-40]

This should be the song of this generation.



Fight the banksters, fight those who have continually oppressed Black people, Fight the old world order. Let freedom ring, let freedom ring!. Let us breath. Black people are tearing white folks kingdom down. We can't wait for Jesus.

 

[C-40]

 

[C-40]

Trial for former officers charged in George Floyd’s death delayed until March

The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers who who assisted Derek Chauvin in the attempted arrest of George Floyd last May has been delayed until next year. Judge Peter Cahill said during a hearing Thursday that the trial for the three former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, would begin in March, according to a pool reporter present in the courtroom. The trial had been scheduled for August. Lane, Kueng and Thao were captured on video assisting Chauvin while the veteran police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck and back during the arrest, which led to Floyd’s death. Chauvin, who is white, continued for about nine minutes while Floyd, a Black man, cried out for a chunk of that time that he could not breathe. Floyd, who was apprehended on suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill, died while in custody, and the footage of his killing sparked months of protests against racism in policing. Cahill cited the likely publicity around Chauvin’s sentencing on June 25 as a reason for the delay. The judge also cited new federal charges against Chauvin and the three officers, which could carry steeper penalties than the state charges.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[The Question]

Congratulations to George Floyd on his approaching one year anniversary of getting off drugs.

 

[jack]

Well said

 

[C-40]

Jurors watched footage of George Floyd before his death, as well as a bystander trying to diffuse the situation during the arrest and confronting Chauvin after Floyd was in the ambulance.

 

[C-40]

George Floyd death: How US police are trying to win back trust
It must be hard being a police officer in America, especially after the death of George Floyd.

Damn right too, some would argue, given the shocking video of his last moments alive. Patrol woman Brittany Richardson is 34 and a 12-year veteran. She's now with the Ferguson Police Department, a suburb of St Louis in Missouri, and was at home with her wife and two children when she first saw the images of Derek Chauvin's knee on Mr Floyd's neck. "There were so many videos of police engaged in the wrong kinds of interactions with people," Brittany says, "but this was heartbreaking." The police are not all like that, she says, but the public don't see the men and women in uniform as individuals. "If one cop does something like this, we're seen as all the same. I was watching on my phone and I just kept thinking 'why is he on him, there's no need for this'. There was no need for that amount of force, she says. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Watching my wife's reaction, she was saying the same thing the rest of the world was saying. Why, just why?"

Click Here For Full Story

 

[C-40]

‘We Still Aren’t Safe’: 6 Young Americans on George Floyd’s Death

The nationwide protests that followed George Floyd’s death last May hinted at a possible turning point in the way many Americans confront issues of racial injustice. How much has really changed, though? Times Opinion asked young readers about how the protests affected their approach to social justice, politics and life in general and what changes they’ve seen, if any, in their communities. Many who responded said the video of Mr. Floyd’s murder awoke them to the reality of racial inequity in the United States and set them on a path of self-education and activism. But for some, those actions seemed fleeting. “Even though millions of people committed to racial justice last summer, my neighborhood still struggles with the same issues it did before the protests, the same issues it faced decades ago when my grandparents were my age,” wrote Caleb Dunson, an 18-year-old reader in Chicago. Below, Mr. Dunson and five others tell us how the experience influenced their thinking over the past year. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Click Here For Complete Stort

 

[C-40]

George Floyd murder: What has changed since his death a year ago?

One year later, the murder of George Floyd led to further calls for reforms in policing. But many Americans say not enough has happened to help stop police violence against Black people. The powerful image of former police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of George Floyd sparked protests not only throughout the United States, but across the world. The memorials and murals that sprang up in his name shone a spotlight on lawmakers and police departments, spurring debate around how they would address and enact change in their policies and their approach. Months later, the nation watched the trial of Chauvin and eventually breathed a collective sigh of relief upon the guilty verdict. As many celebrated the outcome, only 10 miles from the courthouse in Minneapolis, protests erupted after the video of Daunte Wright was released, another African American man who died at the hands of the public. The moment was sobering, as some had hoped that the nation had reached a turning point regarding justice reform. During the past year, the country has watched police forces push back against calls for reforms; meanwhile, videos continue to surface showing police officers abusing their power through unnecessary force against Black people. Such images of abuse are playing a major role in changing the way people view policing and race relations.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[C-40]

One year after George Floyd's murder, NBA social justice coalition urges passage of policing reform bill

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder, the NBA's social justice coalition released a statement Monday night calling on the U.S. Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as a way to honor the memory of Floyd and "others who have been victims of police brutality." The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds and "qualified immunity" for law enforcement while creating national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in March with bipartisan support and is now pending in the Senate. In their statement, the board members of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition called on "elected representatives of both parties to work together to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the U.S. Senate now and present it to President [Joe] Biden for him to sign into law this year." On April 20, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter by a jury for his role in the murder of Floyd last May outside of a local convenience store. The death of Floyd, a Black man, and the video that showed Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes, became a catalyst for the sports world's racial and social justice movement last summer and led to the formation of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.

Click Here For Complete Story

 

[The Question]

Is he still dead? Just checking.

 

[jack]

I guess he still can't breathe.

 

[C-40]

George Floyd