The four former officers who were involved in the death of George Floyd, have been charged officially. The ex-officers were charged with Second-degree murder along with aiding and abetting that carries a maximum penalty of 40 years.
According to CNN, Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged on Wednesday with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder. Chauvin was a police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for nearly 19 years. His charge had been updated from third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was arrested last week and is being held at a Minnesota Department of Corrections facility in Oak Park. According to the court documents, Chauvin's bail was increased to $1 million.
The other three officers, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and You Thao, who helped restrain Floyd and stood nearby, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
The 26 year old Alexander Kueng helped restrain George Floyd along with Chauvin and Lane. The charges of Keung are aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. He was arrested Wednesday and is being held on $1 million bail, county jail records show.
"Kueng was hired as a police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department in December. He joined the department as a cadet in February 2019."
"He had no prior complaints. When Floyd's death took place, it was Kueng's third shift as a police officer, said Thomas Plunkett, his attorney. Chauvin was Kueng's training officer, according to Plunkett."
Thomas Lane, 37, was also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Lane was arrested Wednesday and is also being held on $1 million bail, county jail records show.
"He joined the police department as a cadet in February 2019. He didn't have a history of complaints. Lane had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died, according to his attorney Earl Gray. Lane was doing everything he thought he was supposed to do as a four-day police officer."
"After earning a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Minnesota in 2016, Lane worked as a juvenile corrections officer for Hennepin County and as an assistant probation officer."
You Thao, 34, stood near the other officers as they restrained George Floyd. His charges are aiding and abetting second-degree murder and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Thao, along with Kueng and Lane, was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held on $1 million bail, county jail records show.
"Thao had been a police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department since 2012." He had six complaints filed with internal affairs, one of which was still open, according to a Minneapolis Police Department internal affairs public summary."
Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison stated in announcing the charges.
"I strongly believe that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community and our state,"
