Police Officer Derek Chauvin Has Been Charged With the Murder of George Floyd

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The guardrails protecting democracy may have buckled, but they are not broken. Autocratic forces are ascendant in America, but the story isn’t fully written. Truth-telling independent media is one remaining bulwark against Trump’s unrestrained exercise of power. He rails against the press as the “enemy of the people,” because he hates the scrutiny that comes from fearless investigative reporting. Our nonprofit newsroom is built for the chaos ahead. Please stand with us.

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The former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced on Friday.

Derek Chauvin was seen pinning Floyd to the ground while kneeling on his neck during an arrest on Memorial Day. The charges against Chauvin come amid widescale protests demanding justice for Floyd.

This is a breaking news post. We’ll update as more information becomes available.