Afisa wa polisi aliyefutwa kazi Minneapolis Derek Chauvin amekamatwa na kufunguliwa mashitaka ya mauaji juu ya kifo cha George Floyd, mwendesha mashitaka wa kaunti ya Hennepin Mike Freeman alisema.
Afisa huyo wa zamani alionekana katika video akiikandamiza kwa goti lake shingo ya Floyd kwa dakika kadhaa kabla ya Floyd kupoteza maisha.
Wakazi wa Minneapolis waliita kukamatwa kwa afisa huyo kuwa "hatua ya kwanza" lakini walishinikiza maafisa wengine watatu waliohusika kukamatwa na kushitakiwa pia.
Freeman alisema maafisa hao wengine bado wangali wakichunguzwa.
"Uchunguzi unaendelea," mwendesha mashitaka wa kaunti alisema, "Tumehisi ni vyema kushughulika kwanza na muhalifu mkuu," akimaanisha afisa wa zamani Derek Chauvin.
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UPDATE
MINNEAPOLIS, MAREKANI: ASKARI ALIYEMUUA 'MTU MWEUSI' ASHTAKIWA KWA MAUAJI. MKEWE ATAKA TALAKA
Kufuatia kuuawa kwa George Floyd na Polisi, Maafisa wa Polisi wanne waliohusika na tukio hilo wote walisimamishwa kazi huku Watu wakiandamana kupinga mauaji hayo
Jana, Afisa wa Polisi Derek Chauvin ambaye alionekana kwenye video akiwa amemkandamiza Floyd shingoni kwa kutumia goti alikamatwa na kushtakiwa kwa mauaji daraja la 3 na mauaji ya bila kukusudia daraja la pili
Wakati hayo yanatokea, Mke wa Derek Chauvin, Kellie Chauvin kupitia kwa Wakili wake ameeleza kufungua jarida akitaka kuachana na Afisa huyo wa Polisi
Wakili wa Mke huyo amesema Kellie amesikitishwa sana na kifo cha Floyd na yupo pamoja na familia, wapedwa na kila mmoja anayeomboleza kifo cha Floyd
Ingawa Kellie hana watoto na Derek, ila na watoto aliozaa awali kabla ya kuolewa na Derek, ameomba watoto hao, wazazi wake na ndugu zake wapewe faragha na ulinzi kwa muda huu
Wakati hayo yakijiri maandamano yameendelea kutokea sehemu mbalimbali Marekani, tofauti na Minneapolis yametokea pia California katika miji ya Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland na San Francisco
Pia yametokea Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis na Fort Wayne huko Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; na New York City, New York
Miji mingine ni Boston, Massachusetts; Detroit, Michigan; Las Vegas, Nevada; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus na Cincinnati huko Ohio; Dallas na Houston huko Texas pamoja na Richmond, Virginia
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Fired police officer charged with murder, manslaughter
A fired Minneapolis police officer has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.
Former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes before the black man went motionless, a video of the incident showed.
Minneapolis residents called the arrest a good "first step" but demanded the three other officers involved to be arrested and charged as well.
Freeman said those officers are still under investigation.
Source: Al Jazeera
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Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin charged with murder in George Floyd case
The former Minneapolis police officer shown on video putting his knee on the neck of George Floyd was arrested on Friday, authorities said.
Derek Chauvin, who was fired on Tuesday along with three other officers involved in the detainment of Floyd, was taken into custody Friday and faces charges of 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced.
Floyd pleaded "I can't breathe," as Chauvin, who is white, kneeled on Floyd's neck for around eight minutes on Monday night, in an arrest that was videotaped by bystanders. The police department initially said Floyd, who was black, "physically resisted" the officers and that he died after "suffering medical distress."
Freeman said he anticipated more charges to come, possibly against some of the other three officers.
“The investigation is ongoing," Freeman said, "We felt it was appropriate to focus on the most dangerous perpetrator. This case has moved with extraordinary speed.”
Just 24 hours earlier, Freeman had said the case still needed more investigation. But by Friday, Freeman said enough evidence had been gathered.
"All of that has come together and we felt, in our professional judgement, it was time to charge," Freeman told reporters.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the FBI are both investigating Floyd’s death. The BCA arrested Chauvin at 11:44 a.m. in Minneapolis, the state agency said.
A conviction for third-degree murder could land an offender in prison for up to 25 years.
Third-degree murder means an offender did not intend to kill, but that someone died “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.”
Freeman noted that these charges mirrored the same criminal complaint filed against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, in another high-profile local case involving excessive force.
Noor was convicted of third-degree murder for the July 15, 2017, slaying of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual citizen of the United States and Australia.
Freeman said the prosecution of police officers, who act while on duty, are particularly difficult cases.
“This is by far the fastest we’ve ever charged a police officer," Freeman said. "Normally these cases can take nine months to a year.”
Source: NBC News