Derek Chauvin's Defence Claim George Floyd Died of Overdose | 22 Words

Just less than one year ago, the world was shocked and rattled by the horrific death of George Floyd.

Now, singer Cher has found herself being slammed for a controversial tweet she shared about Floyd's death.

Keep scrolling to see what she said...

Cher isn't shy of controversy.

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But her latest tweet about George Floyd has really landed her in hot water.

Now, the world changed forever on May 25th 2020 when George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was ruthlessly killed by police officers.

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 And it caused global outrage.

The forty-six-year-old father was arrested and forced to the ground...

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Where former police officer, Derek Chauvin, proceeded to kneel on his neck, while 3 other officers knelt on his back.

After nearly ten minutes, George was completely unresponsive. An ambulance arrived and took the unconscious man to the hospital but, devastatingly, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

George died unlawfully at the hands of these officers.

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 The independent autopsy confirmed that he had passed away as a result of "asphyxiation from sustained pressure." This pressure had cut off blood flow to his brain, the autopsy concluded.

This kind of unjust police brutality towards Black men and women has been happening for centuries now...

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 But George's death sparked an outrage like never before.

Thousands upon thousands of people began taking to the streets in protest...

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 And they were all marching for one thing: For the end of blatant racism and injustice in this country.

The increased awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement was ultimately triggered by the protestors...

And still, to this very day, justice is being demanded not only for George Floyd, but also for so many other Black people who have died at the hands of racism and law enforcement.

In the days following the incident...

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 There was an overwhelming demand for the 4 police officers involved - Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng, and Tou Thao - to face criminal charges for their actions.

The day after George's death, it was announced that all 4 officers had been fired...

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 And after an overwhelming surge of anger and protest, the officers were arrested just days later.

Derek Chauvin, the man who had knelt on George's neck, was arrested and charged with murder in the third degree and manslaughter.

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His bond was set at $50,000 before he faced an upgraded charge of second-degree murder, according to Minnesota Senator, Amy Klobuchar.

And now, less than a year after Floyd's death, Derek Chauvin is facing trial.

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And his charge for third-degree murder has been reinstated. However, Chauvin's defense has come out with claims that have left many stunned...

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over Chauvin's trial, reinstated the charge on March 11.

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It comes after a Court of Appeals ruling asked him to reconsider restoring the charge based on its precedent in a separate case.

Cahill said he had to reinstate the charge because he was "bound" by the Court of Appeals ruling.

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Chauvin had tried to appeal to block the charge from being reinstated, however the appeal was blocked by the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The additional charges now mean that prosecutors have another route to convict him.

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Speaking to Buzzfeed, Ted Sampsell-Jones, a Mitchell Hamline School of Law professor said: "For example, if the jurors were divided about second-degree murder, they could settle on third-degree murder as a compromise."

While Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement: "The charge of 3rd-degree murder, in addition to manslaughter and felony murder, reflects the gravity of the allegations against Mr. Chauvin."

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"We look forward to presenting all 3 charges to the jury."

Those convicted of third-degree murder could face up to twenty-five years in prison.

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Chauvin is already facing a second-degree murder charge which carries a maximum prison sentence of forty years, and a second-degree manslaughter charge which carries punishment up to ten years.

But the latest story comes after singer Cher tweeted about George Floyd.

Taking to Twitter the Believe singer wrote:

Was talking With Mom & She Said "I Watched Trial Of Policeman Who Killed George Floyd,& Cried". I Said "Mom,I Know This Is Gonna Sound CRAZY,But.. I Kept Thinking .....Maybe If I'd Been There,...I Could've Helped.

And she's been immediately criticized for her 'white saviour' comment.

What do you think about Cher's tweet?

Many are saying that Cher was trying to be nice with her comment, but that it was really not the right sort of thing to say...