Derek Chauvin's Charge Upgraded to Second-Degree Murder in George Floyd Case | 22 Words

Just under a week on from the arrest of Dereck Chauvin, his charge has been upgraded and the 3 other police officers have finally been charged for the role they played in George Floyd's death.

Keep scrolling for the full story, and to read more about the charges they are facing...

Let's start from the beginning.

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 Last week, on Monday, May 25th, a defenseless and unarmed black man was killed while in a police restraint.

George Floyd was arrested and forced to the ground...

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

Footage of George's "arrest" quickly circulated on social media...

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 And, in the highly distressing scenes, he could be heard begging with the officers to release him and repeatedly saying "Please, please... I can't breathe."

After nearly ten minutes, George was completely unresponsive.

An ambulance arrived and took the unconscious man to hospital but, devastatingly, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. He was only forty-six-years-old and has left behind a fiancee and a 6-year-old daughter.

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 has sparked an outrage like never before.

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

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 And they are all marching for one thing: For the blatant racism and injustice in this country to be brought to an end.

Things were quick to turn violent.

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 Protesters became interweaved with rioters and, as they continue to clash with police, the scenes unfolding across our country have been becoming steadily more violent.

It is a truly terrifying time.

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 But change needs to be done and, at the moment, this seems like the only way to make it happen.

But, remarkably, they seem to be working.

Thanks to these riots, the Black Lives Matter movement is dominating global headlines, and it has completely taken over social media.

Everyone is talking about it.

This week, the hashtag #BlackOutTuesday started trending, with people from all over the world posting a blank black picture to demonstrate their solidarity with the movement.

Yet, despite the global attention George's death has gained, justice is yet to be served.

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 In the days following the incident, 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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 But there was still no sign of any criminal charges.

Steadily, the anger began to build...

And, as the days went on, more and more people began questioning why none of these officers were being made to face up to their actions.

The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, even called for the officers' arrest.

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 “Why is the man who killed George Floyd, not in jail?" Frey asked during a press conference. "If you had done it or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now, and I cannot come up with a good answer to that question."

The general mood of the public was overwhelming:

Arrest these officers now.

However, 4 days after George's death, some justice was served.

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 Derek Chauvin, the man who had knelt on George's neck, was finally arrested.

Chauvin was taken into custody and was charged with murder in the third degree and manslaughter.

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 His bond was set at $50,000, and he is due to appear in court on June 8th.

But Chauvin is now facing an upgraded charge...

He is now looking at second-degree murder according to Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.

But what about the other officers?

Let's not forget that, while Chauvin is the man primarily responsible for George's death, 3 other police officers - Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng, and Tou Thao - also played a significant role in the incident.

Chauvin may have been the one to kneel on his neck...

But alternative footage from the incident shows that 2 other officers were actually kneeling on his back, while a 4th stood on and watched.

It is a total disgrace.

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 And, as the days have turned into weeks, people have been growing more and more impatient to see these officers be put behind bars.

Ultimately, the decision lays in the hands of Minnesota Attorney, General Keith Ellison.

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 Ellison was recently appointed by the government to take the lead in the case, and had previously said that he had "every expectation" that charges will be filed against the officers, and that he hoped they would come soon.

The persecution of these officers has been a slow one, as Ellison explained:

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 "We are moving as expeditiously, quickly, and effectively as we can. But I need to protect this prosecution. I am not going to create a situation where somebody can say this was a rush to judgment."

The Floyd family attorney has also spoken out about the likelihood of these officers being charged...

via: NBC News

 During a news conference Tuesday, attorney, Ben Crump said that George's cause of death was evidence enough for charges to be pressed. "The cause of death was that he was starving for air. It was lack of oxygen. And so everything else is a red herring to try to throw us off," he said of the alternate claims of his cause of death.

Crump is confident that the police officers will face charges for their actions.

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 He explained: "We heard that they expect to charge those officers...We understand they will be charged. That is what the family is hearing from the authorities."

And today, we have finally got the news we have all been waiting for.

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 As reported by the New York Times, it has been announced that Thomas Lane, J.A. Kueng, and Tou Thao have all been formally charged with aiding and abetting murder in the death of George Floyd. Dereck Chauvin is also facing an upgraded charge of second-degree murder.

Further updates are expected...

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 So make sure to stay posted for this developing story.