Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
Original Case Details
A video surfaced during the last week of May which showed a Minneapolis police officer restraining a man by kneeling on his neck until he lost consciousness and eventually died. Three other officers stood by and prevented anyone else from intervening to try to save the man. The man, George Floyd, is now someone known worldwide and has become the latest victim of unchecked police brutality. Floyd was pinned down for nearly nine minutes, as he called for help and repeatedly told the officer that he couldn’t breathe. The video shows Floyd pinned after he lost consciousness for almost three minutes. The officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested and charged with third degree murder as well as a manslaughter charge. The other three officers as of this writing still have not been arrested or charged with anything. This incident as well as how it has been handled has sparked worldwide protests and outrage. A search into police records has shown that Minneapolis police officers have used neck restraints on 428 people since 2012, with at least 58 of those people losing consciousness due to the neck restraint. About two thirds of the people put into neck restraints were black, a stark number considering the black population in Minneapolis is less than 20% of the city’s population.
Nationwide Protests
Daily protests in big cities across the country have continued daily since the video surfaced of Floyd’s death. Many major cities have seen protesters clash with police which has also resulted in extensive property damage and looting. Most demonstrations have been largely peaceful, while some groups have tried to instigate violence and unrest, causing ugly confrontations with law enforcement. The United States National Guard has activated 67,000 troops, surpassing Hurricane Katrina numbers, in order to respond to the 23 states who have asked for National Guard assistance. The National Guard has also been called to Washington D.C. to try to quell the violence. President Trump in an address to the nation, threatened United States military aggression against citizens who are caught or suspected in looting.
What’s Next?
Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison, a Detroit native, has taken over the prosecution of this case. This comes after the state of Minnesota has lost faith in local Minneapolis authorities to fairly and lawfully handle this case. In the short time that Ellison has had this case, the preliminary autopsy went from saying that Floyd did not die specifically from being choked to death to now saying that Floyd lost consciousness and died on the street before he ever made it to the hospital. An independent medical examination has also reportedly agreed with this finding, with both of the newer reports stating that Floyd died from being choked to death. The daily protests have continued and expect to continue until the other officers are arrested and charged for their roles as accessories to murder. Ellison also has made it clear that he will be viewing the case and the evidence from a fresh perspective, which likely means that the original charges could be amended. It also seems likely that the other officers will soon be facing arrest and charges of their own. As more video and evidence trickles out into the public, we will likely see continued protests and anger until the public feels that something is being done about systemic racism in our country.
Any Further Questions?
If you or a loved one has been the victim of police brutality, then it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. At Grabel & Associates, our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience in successfully defending criminal cases all over the state of Michigan. This experience extends not only to adult cases, but also to juvenile charges. We are not a general practice firm. We are a team of criminal defense attorneys; it’s all we do. We offer a FREE consultation to anyone with questions relating to a possible or existing criminal charge against them or a loved one. Feel free to contact us on our 24/7 defense line at 1-800-342-7896. You can also contact us online or come visit us at one of our three statewide locations. We can also come to you.