Tyre Nichols case shows officers still fail to intervene
Instead, Nichols is dead and the five officers are charged with second-degree murder and other crimes. More disciplinary action may be coming now that the harrowing video of Nichols treatment has been released. The Memphis Fire Department also fired three emergency response workers who arrived on the scene for failing to assess Nichols' condition. Body camera video shows he was beaten as officers screamed profanities, even as Nichols seemed confused about what he did wrong. Security camera images from that scene show two officers holding Nichols to the ground as a third appears to kick him in the head.
wftv.comTyre Nichols case revives calls for change in police culture
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King's savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. All fell short of the shift in law enforcement culture Black people in America have called for — a culture that promotes freedom from fear, trust in police and mutual respect. We need law enforcement to combat pervasive crime,” said Jason Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. Officers are told to limit uses of force, exhaust all alternatives before resorting to deadly force and report all uses of force. Biden said he told Nichols' mother that he would be "making a case" to Congress to pass the Floyd Act "to get this under control."
wftv.comTyre Nichols case revives calls for change in police culture
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King's savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. All fell short of the shift in law enforcement culture Black people in America have called for — a culture that promotes freedom from fear, trust in police and mutual respect. We need law enforcement to combat pervasive crime,” said Jason Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. Officers are told to limit uses of force, exhaust all alternatives before resorting to deadly force and report all uses of force. Biden said he told Nichols' mother that he would be "making a case" to Congress to pass the Floyd Act "to get this under control."
wftv.com1 year, 1 day in prison for lawyer in police car firebombing
NEW YORK — (AP) — A lawyer who purchased gasoline that another lawyer used in firebombing an unoccupied New York City police car during protests over George Floyd's death in 2020 was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison. Colinford Mattis, appearing in federal court, was also ordered to pay just over $30,000 to the New York Police Department for the destroyed vehicle. Initially, the two lawyers had faced much more severe charges and possible years-long prison sentences, but prosecutors reduced the charges and they pled guilty to conspiracy. Federal authorities had asked for Mattis to be sentenced to between 18 to 24 months in prison. Rahman was sentenced in November to 15 months in prison.
wftv.comCourt asked to void verdict against ex-cop in Floyd's murder
Floyd's death touched off protests around the world and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism. But Neal Katyal, a special attorney for the state, said Chauvin got “one of the most transparent and thorough trials in our nation's history. ... Chauvin's many arguments before this court do not come close to justifying reversal.”Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was questioned during jury selection about whether he had participated in any demonstrations or marches “in Minneapolis” against police brutality after Floyd's death. He said the appeals court should send the case back to Cahill for a hearing on that issue — a request that Cahill had denied.
wftv.comCourt to hear appeal of ex-officer in murder of George Floyd
Floyd's death touched off protests around the world and forced a painful national reckoning with police brutality and racism. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. While Chauvin waived his right to appeal under his federal plea deal, he continued to pursue his appeal of his murder convictions in state court. Other disputes in the appeal include whether it was legally permissible to convict Chauvin of third-degree murder, and whether Cahill was justified in exceeding the 12 1/2 years recommended under the state's sentencing guidelines. That verdict is pending, as is his federal appeal.
wftv.comCourt to hear appeal of ex-officer in murder of George Floyd
Floyd's death touched off protests around the world and forced a painful national reckoning with police brutality and racism. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. While Chauvin waived his right to appeal under his federal plea deal, he continued to pursue his appeal of his murder convictions in state court. Other disputes in the appeal include whether it was legally permissible to convict Chauvin of third-degree murder, and whether Cahill was justified in exceeding the 12 1/2 years recommended under the state's sentencing guidelines. That verdict is pending, as is his federal appeal.
wftv.comCourt to hear appeal of ex-officer in murder of George Floyd
An attorney for Derek Chauvin is planning to ask an appeals court Wednesday to throw out the former Minneapolis police officer's convictions in the murder of George Floyd, arguing that numerous legal and procedural errors deprived him of a fair trial. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pinned the Black man to the ground with his knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes. A bystander video captured Floyd's fading cries of “I can't breathe.”
news.yahoo.comGeorge Floyd family taking applications for business grants
MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — George Floyd’s family is ready to take applications from businesses for grants funded by money from their wrongful death legal settlement with the city of Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died in May 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. His family won a $27 million settlement from the city in March 2021 and set aside $500,000 for grants to businesses in the neighborhood where Floyd died. Floyd family attorney Ben Crump says businesses can begin applying Monday and continue to apply until all dollars are distributed. Grants will be awarded in the amounts of $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000, although larger grants may be considered.
wftv.comEx-cop who kneeled on George Floyd’s back gets 3.5-year term
MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back while another officer kneeled on the Black man’s neck was sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison. Kueng is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, and the state and federal sentence will be served at the same time. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd's back while another officer kneeled on the Black man's neck is expected to be sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter. Kueng kneeled on Floyd's back during the restraint. If Thao is convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped.
wftv.comMinneapolis to buy gas station at site of Floyd's killing
The city of Minneapolis has decided to buy the boarded-up Speedway gas station at the intersection where George Floyd was killed by police and turn it into a racial justice healing center and permanent memorial for the Black man. The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to purchase the gas station at the intersection now known as George Floyd Square. Floyd's killing, which was recorded by a bystander, sparked a national reckoning on racial injustice. Some activists have said the city's involvement in taking over the property could taint the protest and community space that emerged organically after Floyd's killing. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Star Tribune.
wftv.comEx-Minneapolis cop J. Alexander Kueng to be sentenced for role in George Floyd’s death
As part of the agreement, prosecutors dropped a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Kueng is already serving a three-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights by denying him medical care during the deadly May 2020 encounter. Last year, a Minnesota jury convicted Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd’s death. Thao is awaiting a judge’s verdict in his trial on state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, KARE reported. He is also serving a two-and-a-half-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
wftv.comOfficer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back faces sentencing
MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd's back while another officer kneeled on the Black man's neck is expected to be sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter. Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after former Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe and eventually went limp. Then-Officer Thomas Lane held Floyd's legs and Tou Thao, also an officer at the time, kept bystanders from intervening. Kueng, who is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights, will appear at Friday's sentencing hearing via video from a low-security federal prison in Ohio. If Thao is convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped.
wftv.comMinneapolis settles with 12 hurt in George Floyd protests
MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — The city of Minneapolis has reached a $600,000 settlement with 12 protesters who were injured during demonstrations after the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday. And it requires that officers have their body cameras recording and unobstructed while at protests, according to the ACLU. Floyd, a Black man, was killed on May 25, 2020, when then-Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes during an arrest. Two lawsuits filed in 2020 and later consolidated accused Minneapolis police of using unnecessary and excessive force against protesters. Anderson said her office filed necessary documents and an order reflecting portions of the settlement was made public Wednesday.
wftv.comLawyer gets 15 months behind bars for firebombing police car
A New York City attorney was sentenced to 15 months behind bars on Friday for firebombing an empty New York City police vehicle with another lawyer during protests over the murder of George Floyd. Before hearing her sentence, Urooj Rahman asked a judge to spare her prison time and give her a “second chance” to redeem herself for what she called a momentary lapse of judgement. “I’m so incredibly sorry for my reckless and wrong actions,” a tearful Rahman said in federal court in Brooklyn.
news.yahoo.comHomeland Security Admits It Tried to Manufacture Fake Terrorists for Trump
The Department of Homeland Security launched a failed operation that ensnared hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S. protesters in what new documents show was as a sweeping, power-hungry effort before the 2020 election to bolster President Donald Trump’s spurious claims about a “terrorist organization” he accused his Democratic rivals of supporting.
news.yahoo.comReport shows feds gathered intel on Portland protesters
SALEM, Ore. — (AP) — U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials under then-President Donald Trump compiled intelligence dossiers on people who were arrested at Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, according to a newly unredacted internal review. Brian Murphy, who was then the acting undersecretary of DHS' intelligence unit, insisted on calling violent protesters “Violent Antifa Anarchists Inspired," even though “overwhelming intelligence regarding the motivations or affiliations of the violent protesters did not exist,” according to the report. They were previously normally compiled on non-U.S. citizens or only on Americans with “a demonstrated terrorism nexus.”The DHS report was previously released last year but had more redactions. Draft dossiers included friends and family of protesters as well. Wyden credited current Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis Kenneth Wainstein for reviewing the Trump administration’s “unnecessary redactions” and releasing the unredacted report.
wftv.com1 plea, 1 alternate approach avert trial over Floyd's death
If Thao is convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped. The day's developments pushed the long process of prosecuting the officers involved in Floyd's death nearer an end. A fourth officer, Thomas Lane, was convicted of federal charges in February and pleaded guilty to state charges in May. When asked if there had been an incident at the federal prison, a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons said he could not comment, citing privacy, safety and security reasons. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years.
wftv.com1 plea, 1 alternate approach avert trial over Floyd's death
Instead, Kueng pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in exchange for the murder count against him being dismissed. Kueng is the second officer to plead guilty to the state charge; Thomas Lane pleaded guilty earlier this year. If he's convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped. Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year and Kueng, Lane and Thao were convicted of federal charges in February. When asked if there had been an incident at the federal prison, a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons said he could not comment, citing privacy, safety and security reasons.
wftv.comEx-Minneapolis cop pleads guilty in George Floyd killing
Kueng is the second officer to plead guilty to the state charge, following Thomas Lane, who pleaded guilty earlier this year. All three were convicted in February on federal counts of willfully violating the civil rights of Floyd, who was Black. All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing. If Kueng had been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he would have faced a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison. ___Find AP's full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floydCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comEx-Minneapolis cop pleads guilty in George Floyd killing
MINNEAPOLIS — (AP) — Another former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. All three have already been convicted on federal counts of willfully violating the civil rights of Floyd, who was Black. Kueng was sentenced to three years and Thao was sentenced to 3 1/2, but for some Floyd family members and activists, the penalties were too small. If Kueng had been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he would have faced a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison. ___Find AP's full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floydCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.com2 cops head to trial for aiding George Floyd's killing
J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have already been convicted of federal counts for violating Floyd's civil rights and begun serving those sentences. Many witnesses expected to testify at their state trial have already done so at both their federal trial and at the state trial against their former colleague, Derek Chauvin. The second trial in Floyd’s death came in federal court, where Lane, Kueng and Thao were all convicted of federal civil rights violations. Kueng and Thao reported to federal prison earlier this month to begin serving their sentences for violating Floyd's rights. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years on the state murder charge and 21 years on a federal count of violating Floyd's rights.
wftv.com2 cops head to trial for aiding George Floyd's killing
J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have already been convicted of federal counts for violating Floyd's civil rights and begun serving those sentences. Many witnesses expected to testify at their state trial have already done so at both their federal trial and at the state trial against their former colleague, Derek Chauvin. The second trial in Floyd’s death came in federal court, where Lane, Kueng and Thao were all convicted of federal civil rights violations. Kueng and Thao reported to federal prison earlier this month to begin serving their sentences for violating Floyd's rights. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years on the state murder charge and 21 years on a federal count of violating Floyd's rights.
wftv.comCity where George Floyd was killed struggles to recruit cops
And everything they do must be aimed at rebuilding trust in a city left in tatters by the killing of Floyd and other Black men. Homicide offenses nearly doubled from 2019 to 2021, aggravated assaults jumped by one-third, and car-jackings — which the city only began tracking in fall 2020 — exploded. And the city's crime problem has been compounded by a mass exodus of officers who cited post-traumatic stress after Floyd was killed, gutting the department of roughly one-third of its personnel. “I don’t want people of color to be against cops,” said Collins, who works as a pizza cook and a FedEx package distributor. ___Find AP's full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floydCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.
wftv.comChauvin moved to Arizona federal pen in George Floyd killing
Derek Chauvin has been moved from a Minnesota state prison where he was often held in solitary confinement to a medium-security federal prison in Arizona, where the former police officer convicted in George Floyd’s killing may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Floyd family, others see inequality in penalties for ex-cops
Three former Minneapolis police officers went before a federal judge during the last week to be sentenced for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, and for each man, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson handed out penalties well below what prosecutors sought and below federal guidelines.
Ruling may mean less time for 2 who violated Floyd's rights
A federal judge has sided with two former Minneapolis police officers convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, saying the guidelines for their sentences will be calculated in a way that could mean substantially less prison time for them.
Two years after Floyd murder, racial trauma permeates US
Wednesday marked the second anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked a global protest movement and calls for a racial reckoning to address structural racism that has created long-standing inequities impacting generations of Black Americans.
Are police consent decrees an asset? Depends on who you ask
The Minneapolis Police Department will face the scrutiny of a federal program after a state investigation concluded that its officers stop and arrest Black people more than white people, use force more often on people of color and maintain a culture in which racism is tolerated.