A criminal complaint against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Friday morning in connection with the death of George Floyd, 46, accuses Chauvin of having his knee against Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
According to the complaint, which was obtained by CNN, Floyd was unresponsive for 2 minutes and 53 seconds of the total 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The complaint also says that police officers “are trained that this type of restraint with a subject in a prone position is inherently dangerous.”
Floyd was taken away in an ambulance after his arrest, and was pronounced dead at the hospital. As The Daily Wire previously reported, four officers have been fired for the incident, which was captured on a video that shows Floyd begging that he “can’t breath” as the officer’s knee is on his neck.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has not determined the exact cause of Floyd’s death or completed a full report, but has issued preliminary findings, according to the criminal complaint charging Chauvin with Floyd’s death.
“The autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxiation or strangulation. Mr Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease. The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death,” said the criminal complaint.
Attorney General William Barr called the video of Floyd’s death disturbing in a statement on Friday, and assured the public that the Department of Justice was investigating his death and whether his civil rights were violated.
“Both state and federal officers are working diligently and collaboratively to ensure that any available evidence relevant to these decisions is obtained as quickly as possible,” said the attorney general.
“Under our system, charging decisions must be, and will be, based on the law and facts. This process is proceeding quickly. As is the typical practice, the state’s charging decisions will be made first. I am confident justice will be served,” he said.
The public outrage over Floyd’s death has sparked nationwide protests in nearly one dozen major cities over the last few days, according to The New York Times. Some of the protests have since turned violent, particularly in Minneapolis, where rioters set fire to a police station and looting has become rampant.
According to ABC-5, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) asked the Minnesota National Guard on Thursday to mitigate the riots breaking out in Minneapolis, and to help the overall devolving situation in surrounding communities.
We have activated more than 500 soldiers to St. Paul, Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Our mission is to protect life, preserve property and the right to peacefully demonstrate. A key objective is to ensure fire departments are able to respond to calls.
— MN National Guard (@MNNationalGuard) May 29, 2020
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