Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison’s on Wednesday has upgraded the charges for Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, from third to second-degree murder. The other three former officers at the scene of the incident will be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
His death has since sparked a nationwide protest with a call for an end to police violence against black citizens and for justice to be duly served. Many of such protests have turned violent as protesters continue to rally across the states.
More than 350 protests across the country have erupted in response to the killing last week. While many demonstrations have been peaceful, tensions between police and protesters have led to violent confrontations in several cities.
The memorial services to honour Floyd will take place in Minnesota, Texas and North Carolina over the course of six days. The Minneapolis service will be held Thursday afternoon.
The decision came just two days after Ellison took over the prosecution from Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman and followed more than a week of sometimes-violent protests calling for tougher charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who had pinned Floyd to the ground and held him there for nearly nine minutes. Protesters also demanded the arrests of the three other former officers who were present but failed to intervene. All three were booked into the Hennepin County jail on Wednesday.
The new charges come just two days after Gov. Tim Walz asked Ellison to take over the prosecution in the killing of George Floyd.
