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29th May 2020

Derek Chauvin charged with murder in death of George Floyd

Wayne Farry

George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on Monday

Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes, has been charged with third degree murder and manslaughter, it was confirmed on Friday.

Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck, ignoring Floyd’s pleas that he was unable to breath. Later that day, Floyd was dead.

His death has sparked protests and riots across Minneapolis, and much of the United States, leading to looting and violent clashes between police and protesters calling for an end to police brutality.

Earlier on Friday, president Donald Trump saw a tweet of his partially hidden by Twitter for ‘glorifying violence’. The twee said “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”.

Trump sough to clarify his comments later in the day, insisting that what he said was not a threat, and merely a fact that “looting leads to shooting”.