US Jury Indicts 4 Former Minneapolis Officers For Violating George Floyd's Civil Rights

Umer Jamshaid Published May 07, 2021 | 09:15 PM

A federal grand jury has charged all four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's arrest resulting in his death with civil rights violations, including violating his constitutional rights, the US Justice Department said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2021) A Federal grand jury has charged all four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's arrest resulting in his death with civil rights violations, including violating his constitutional rights, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

"A federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, returned two indictments that were unsealed today. The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their roles in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr.," the Justice Department said in a release.

According to the indictment, all four face constitutional rights violations for willfully depriving George Floyd of his rights while acting under color of law.

Thao and Kueng are also facing charges of failing to intervene and stop Chauvin from exercising unreasonable use of force.

The third charge, which applies only to Chauvin, concerns a separate case in September of 2017 in which Chauvin is accused of depriving a 14-year-old person of the constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force.

Last month, Chauvin was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death last month. Chauvin said he plans to appeal the case.

Following the indictments, the officers will be tried in US federal court for the charges brought against them.