TOU THAO

The Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer won’t change the cases against the three former officers charged in George Floyd’s death.

A former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd's death has pleaded not guilty to allegedly violating a teenager's civil rights in a separate case that involved a restraint similar to the one used on Floyd.

The four former officers are set to appear before a federal judge Tuesday.

Four former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against them.

Attorneys for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death asked a judge Thursday to bar their upcoming trial from being livestreamed, saying some witnesses won’t testify if proceedings are broadcast.

Three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights are asking that their federal trials be separated from the trial of Derek Chauvin, who has already been convicted on state murder charges.

George Floyd's death after his arrest by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, sparked widespread anger after millions of people saw video of the event.

The four former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights will be arraigned on the federal charges in September.

The suit suggests there might be more records on the officers who killed George Floyd

Prosecutors are asking a judge for more time to prepare for the federal trial of four former police officers facing civil rights charges in George Floyd’s death.

The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in last year’s death of George Floyd has made an initial appearance in federal court for allegedly violating Floyd's civil rights.

Prosecutors are seeking an additional charge of aiding and abetting third-degree murder for Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao.

Attorneys for the state and for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death have appeared before the Minnesota Court of Appeals as prosecutors sought to add an additional charge to the case.

The state trial for Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane was moved from August to March 2022.

The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting in George Floyd's death has been pushed back to March 2022.

George Floyd’s brother and nephew expressed gratitude after a federal grand jury indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in his death.

The Justice Department is sending a strong signal about its priorities these days.

Derek Chauvin and other former Minneapolis cops were indicted for civil rights violations weeks after a jury convicted Chauvin of murdering George Floyd.

A federal grand jury has indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest and death, accusing them of willfully violating the Black man’s constitutional rights as he was restrained face-down on the pavement and gasping for air.

Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murder and manslaughter charges, deserved a more severe sentence after he inflicted "gratuitous pain" on George Floyd last year, argued Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D).

With Derek Chauvin convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death, activists and the Floyd family are turning their attention to this summer's trial for the other three officers involved in his May 2020 arrest.

The trial for three other officers involved in George Floyd's fatal arrest is scheduled to begin August 23.

To the prosecution, the witnesses who watched George Floyd’s body go still were regular people going about their daily lives when they happened upon the ghastly scene of an officer kneeling on a man’s neck.

George Floyd's death after his arrest by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, sparked widespread anger after millions of people saw video of the event.

The Minneapolis police chief says now-fired Officer Derek Chauvin violated departmental policy in pinning his knee on George Floyd’s neck and keeping him down after Floyd had stopped resisting and was in distress.

There is a growing crowd and what officers perceive to be a threat.”The carefully calibrated language by each side is no accident. She admitted raising her voice and using foul language “because I was desperate” to help Floyd. Nelson asked if Williams grew angrier as the arrest continued, and the mixed martial arts fighter agreed that he did. When Williams appeared to step off the curb and Thao touched him, Nelson said Williams threatened the officer. She confirmed to him that as time went on, more people gathered, voices became louder, and people got more angry.

AdWhen Floyd was finally taken away by paramedics, Charles McMillian, a 61-year-old bystander who recognized Chauvin from the neighborhood, told the officer he didn't respect what Chauvin had done. At one point, he threw his upper body out of the car, and officers tried to push him back in. Lane was heard saying officers found a “weed pipe” on Floyd and wondered if he might be on PCP, saying Floyd's eyes were shaking back and forth fast. The officer also asked twice if the officers should roll Floyd on his side, and later said calmly that he thought Floyd was passing out. She later told the judge that she had been feeling stress and having trouble sleeping, but told the judge she was OK to proceed.

It seemed as if he didn’t care what we were saying,” said 18-year-old Darnella Frazier, one of several witnesses who testified through tears. “There was a man being killed,” said Hansen, who testified in her dress uniform and detailed her emergency medical technician training. Floyd was arrested after being accused of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. Williams admitted under questioning that he told Thao he would beat the officers if Thao touched him again. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

As the trial approaches for Chauvin, who is charged with murder in Floyd's death, prosecutors are putting the time Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck at about nine minutes. Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyd's neck for about nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop. AdMay 31 — Walz says Attorney General Keith Ellison will lead prosecutions in Floyd's death. AdFeb. 12 — City leaders say George Floyd Square, the intersection blocked by barricades since Floyd's death, will reopen to traffic after Chauvin's trial. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

As the trial approaches for Chauvin, who is charged with murder in Floyd's death, prosecutors are putting the time Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck at about nine minutes. Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyd's neck for about nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop. AdMay 31 — Walz says Attorney General Keith Ellison will lead prosecutions in Floyd's death and the nationwide protests continue. Feb. 12 — City leaders say George Floyd Square, the intersection blocked by barricades since Floyd's death, will reopen to traffic after Chauvin's trial. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

As the trial approaches for Chauvin, who is charged with murder in Floyd's death, prosecutors are putting the time Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's neck at about nine minutes. The fact that the figure has evolved probably won't matter at Chauvin’s trial, which begins Monday with jury selection. He had been handcuffed and was pleading that he couldn't breathe, but Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck even after he stopped moving and speaking. The narrative in the initial complaint filed May 29 by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says Chauvin held his knee to Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. This means Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least nine minutes flat, but possibly for as long as 9 minutes, 31 seconds.

The New York Times first reported that a grand jury was hearing testimony against Chauvin. Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond and led to a nationwide reckoning on race. Like Chauvin, all three were fired soon after Floyd’s death. It’s unclear what specifically prompted the increased grand jury activity in the last few weeks, though most federal grand juries are discharged after about 18 months. Barr rejected the deal in part because he felt it was too soon as the investigation into Floyd’s death was still in its relative infancy, the officials said.

Chauvin, who held his knee to the neck of George Floyd for several minutes, will be tried separately from three other former officers accused in his death, according to scheduling orders filed Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)MINNEAPOLIS – A former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee to George Floyd's neck for minutes will be tried separately from the three other former officers accused in his death, according to an order filed Tuesday that cites limited courtroom space due to COVID-19 restrictions. Derek Chauvin will stand trial alone in March while the other three former officers will be tried together in the summer. Former officers Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are each charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Defense attorneys had argued last year that the officers should be tried separately, but prosecutors argued against it.

Prosecutors in the case against the four Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd requested that the trial delayed by three months. Prosecutors cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the amount of time needed before enough people are vaccinated and health risks are sufficiently diminished. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)MINNEAPOLIS – Prosecutors in the case against the four Minneapolis officers charged in the death of George Floyd requested that the trial delayed by three months. Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, said he doesn't intend to object to the prosecution seeking a delay in the trial. “The pandemic has been around for a while.”Thao’s lawyer, Robert Paule, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MINNEAPOLIS – A judge on Thursday rejected defense requests to move the trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death, and also ordered that all four will be tried together instead of separately. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled after defense attorneys had argued that pretrial publicity had made it impossible for the four men to get a fair trial in Minneapolis. But Cahill said he was unpersuaded that moving the trial would improve security, and that he believes the jury can be protected from outside influences. Moving the trial away from Minneapolis to a less diverse area of the state also likely would affect the makeup of the jury, though the judge didn't address that issue. Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, and led to a nationwide reckoning on race.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck, saying there was not enough probable cause for that count to proceed to trial. Cahill also found probable cause to move forward with the aiding and abetting counts against three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao. He said prosecutors do not need to show Chauvin's actions were the sole cause of Floyd’s death. “This is not an appropriate case for a third-degree murder charge,” he said. When the third-degree murder charge was filed, the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union asked the state to take over the case from Hennepin County, saying more serious charges were warranted.

Floyd’s death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests around the world. As darkness fell Wednesday evening, hundreds of people took to the streets in south Minneapolis where protests were centered in the days after George Floyd’s death. In Minnesota, someone who posts bond is required to pay 10%, in this case $100,000, to the bail bond company. Chauvin's wife, Kellie Chauvin, filed for divorce shortly after Floyd's death. The other three officers charged in Floyd's death had previously posted bond amounts of $750,000 and have been free pending trial.

The judge overseeing the case has yet to decide whether cameras will be allowed. But the state attorney general’s office, which is prosecuting the case, opposes them, saying cameras would only create more problems. The former officers have consented to cameras, but prosecutors have resisted, saying they may revisit the issue as the trial nears. Defense attorneys say cameras would help ensure the trial is fair and open during the pandemic, when courtroom attendance has been limited to allow for social distancing. Kirtley, who is part of the coalition, said any concerns that cameras would be disruptive can be managed by the judge.

Protesters hold a die-in outside the Hennepin County Family Justice Center where four former Minneapolis police officers appeared at a hearing Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Minneapolis. The officers are charged in the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in May. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Prosecutors say they may revisit the issue of audio-visual coverage of the trials of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd. Kueng, Lane and Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. “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. “The other defendants are clearly saying that, if a crime was committed, they neither knew about it nor assisted in it,” Nelson wrote.

This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, shows Derek Chauvin, from left, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Kueng, Lane and Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin. Minneapolis adopted a policy in 2016 requiring officers to intervene when colleagues are using inappropriate force. Yet three other officers at the scene failed to stop 19-year police veteran Derek Chauvin when he put his knee on Floyd's neck despite Floyd's cries that he couldn't breathe. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Yet three other officers at the scene failed to stop 19-year police veteran Derek Chauvin when he put his knee on Floyd's neck despite Floyd's cries that he couldn't breathe. Floyd, a Black man who was in handcuffs, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyds neck as Floyd said he couldnt breathe and became motionless. Mike Brandt, a defense attorney not connected to the case, said countering that video with Floyd's past is good strategy. You are trying to push the pendulum back from those damning videos of Chauvin with his knee on Floyds neck," he said. In documents requesting dismissal, Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, wrote about Floyds prior charges of armed robbery and drug possession in Texas.

MINNEAPOLIS Newly released body-camera video from a third officer involved in George Floyds arrest captures for the first time the growing horror of onlookers who repeatedly pleaded with the officers to get off Floyd. The video made available Thursday comes from fired Officer Tou Thao, one of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of Floyd, a handcuffed Black man. Floyd died after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes on a south Minneapolis street May 25 as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. That footage, along with Thao's video, shows Floyd pleading with the officers as they struggle to place him in the squad car in the moments before his death. Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe and called out for his mother before passing out.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump wears a face mask with the words "Where's the love?" after announcing Wednesday, July 15, 2020 in Minneapolis the filing of a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the officers involved in the death of George Floyd. Floyd died at the hands of police during an arrest on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

FILE - This undated file photo provided by Christopher Harris shows George Floyd. Video recorded by a bystander showed the world Floyds horrifying last minutes. But footage recorded by body cameras that officers wore as they were apprehending Floyd could show even more about what the officers were doing and saying during that fateful encounter. (Christopher Harris via AP, File)

“I'm not that kind of guy,” Floyd says as he struggles against the officers. It also captures an apparent lack of urgency to render aid to Floyd for long minutes after he stopped moving. Lane, Kueng and another officer, Tou Thao, are charged with aiding and abetting. When Floyd did not immediately display his hands, Lane pulled his gun, leading Floyd to say he had been shot before. The video shows Lane performing constant chest compressions by hand with no visible results.

after announcing Wednesday, July 15, 2020 in Minneapolis the filing of a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the officers involved in the death of George Floyd. The civil rights lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, was announced by attorney Ben Crump and other lawyers representing Floyd's family members. All four officers were fired the day after Floyd's death, which set off protests that spread around the world and turned into a national reckoning on race in America. Floyd's death also sparked calls to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a new public safety department. After Floyd's death, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the type of restraint Chauvin had used wasn't authorized.

Madeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Madeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. One told Floyd it takes a lot of oxygen to talk, while another told angry bystanders that Floyd was talking, so he can breathe.That reaction -- seen in police restraint deaths around the country -- is dangerously wrong, medical experts say. In the moments before he died, Floyd told police he couldnt breathe more than 20 times. The volume of an ordinary breath is about 400 to 600 mL, but normal speech requires about 50 mL of gas per syllable, so saying the words I cant breathe would require 150 mL of gas, the authors wrote. But the misperception that a talking person is able to breathe has also come up in other high-profile in-custody deaths.

FILE - This May 31, 2020, file photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff shows former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was arrested for the May 25 death of George Floyd. As George Floyd told Minneapolis police officers that he couldn't breathe more than 20 times in the moments before he died, Chauvin, the officer who pressed his knee against Floyd's neck, dismissed his pleas, saying it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk," according to transcripts of body camera video recordings made public Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (Hennepin County Sheriff via AP, File)

MINNEAPOLIS One of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's death is asking to have his case dismissed. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane was holding Floyds legs at the time, Kueng was holding Floyds back and Thao was managing nearby bystanders. Gray said in his court filing that Lane asked twice if the officers should turn Floyd on his side, and Chauvin said no.

This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, shows Derek Chauvin, from left, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by him and the other Minneapolis police officers on May 25. Kueng, Lane and Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by him and the other Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP)MINNEAPOLIS The four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd are due in court Monday for a hearing that could deal with bail amounts and other issues. Its the second pretrial hearing for the men, who were fired after Floyds May 25 death. Second-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, third-degree murder carries up to 25 years and manslaughter up to 10. The other three former officers are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge on Friday rejected allowing cameras in the court for pretrial proceedings of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd. Minnesota rules allow the judge, prosecutors or defense attorneys to veto camera coverage during criminal court proceedings before a conviction. The judge will rule later on whether cameras will be allowed at trial. A defense attorney filed a motion Thursday on behalf of the ex-officers to allow recording of all pretrial and trial proceedings. Doing otherwise allows these public officials to geld the Constitution,” wrote attorney Thomas Plunkett, representing J. Kueng, one of four fired officers charged in Floyd's death.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)TOP OF THE HOUR: Two Portland reporters injured by police at protests against police brutality FBI director visits Minneapolis, is briefed on Floyd investigation. ___PORTLAND, Ore. -- At least two Portland-based reporters have been hurt in recent days while covering protests against police brutality. In both incidents, the reporters were told by police, in what the journalists described as profanity-laced responses, that their press credentials did not matter. Chauvin has been charged in state court with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. The other three men are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter.

“I don’t know, you can call me a snitch if you want to, but we have the cameras up for 320's call. ... Um, I don’t know if they had used force or not. So, I don’t know if they needed you or not, but they haven’t said anything to me yet,” says the dispatcher, whose name is edited out of the recording. Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground. He had his knee on the dude's neck the whole time.”The caller goes on to say Floyd “stopped breathing ...

A video camera, when properly authenticated, is an eye witness. The widely seen video recorded by a bystander shows Chauvins actions and Floyds anguish as he gasps for air. Body camera videos are not expected to be made public until a trial or until the cases are otherwise resolved. In the Floyd case, Bruce Gordon, a spokesman for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, confirmed that body camera video captured portions of the incident. Mel Reeves, a longtime community activist in Minneapolis, said he doesn't think the body camera video will matter because the bystander video should be enough to convict the officers.