Former MN police officer Derek Chauvin charged with second-degree murder; three other officers face charges

[sirI]

Quote

The three Minneapolis police officers who failed to intervene while George Floyd was killed were charged on Wednesday with aiding in his death, and officials pressed a more severe charge against Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned Mr. Floyd to the ground with a knee for nearly nine minutes while he pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”

Chauvin is now charged with 2nd-degree murder. Prosecutors will have to prove he had intent to kill Mr. Floyd.

Entirety: New Charges for Former Minneapolis Police Officers as Protests Persist

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 11/1/2021 at 9:39 AM, toomuchbaloney said:

No controversy.  Unethical people behave in unethical ways...nothing controversial about that. 

Of course that is controversial - just not unusual.

As far as the settlement from the city - and you won't agree with me or like what I say - I don't see why the answer is always money.  And do remember that George was engaged in criminal behavior, and not for the first time in his life.  No, he should not have been murdered, especially in view of the whole world.  Chauvin was wrong.  But Floyd was no angel. 

Just like the Michael Brown case.  A completely wrong murder but the Gentle Giant was not an angel.

Do you think the family's lawyers behaved ethically?

[toomuchbaloney]

21 minutes ago, Kooky Korky said:

Of course that is controversial - just not unusual.

As far as the settlement from the city - and you won't agree with me or like what I say - I don't see why the answer is always money.  And do remember that George was engaged in criminal behavior, and not for the first time in his life.  No, he should not have been murdered, especially in view of the whole world.  Chauvin was wrong.  But Floyd was no angel. 

Just like the Michael Brown case.  A completely wrong murder but the Gentle Giant was not an angel.

Do you think the family's lawyers behaved ethically?

You are very much more invested in that question than am I. There's a reason that you are mentioning irrelevant but negative facts about the victims of police violence before admitting that to do so clearly leaves an impression that somehow their deaths were surely justified in some level.  That was intentional on your part. Can you explain why?

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Money isn't always the answer.   The fact that Floyd was no angel is irrelevant.  He was not committing a violent or vile crime at the time of his murder. 

I think because other officers stood around and watched him be murdered proves a department that's if not corrupt is dysfunctional and a monetary settlement is appropriate.  Because the department wronged Floyd, not just Chauvin.   It can be argued that the 27 million dollars is too much but it should hurt and wake up the department to make changes.

[toomuchbaloney]

59 minutes ago, Tweety said:

Money isn't always the answer.   The fact that Floyd was no angel is irrelevant.  He was not committing a violent or vile crime at the time of his murder. 

I think because other officers stood around and watched him be murdered proves a department that's if not corrupt is dysfunctional and a monetary settlement is appropriate.  Because the department wronged Floyd, not just Chauvin.   It can be argued that the 27 million dollars is too much but it should hurt and wake up the department to make changes.

I don't think that the officers or the department suffer any consequences from the $27 million...the tax payers pick up that tab, right? I'm pretty sure that I read some somewhere that the city of Milwaukee had paid more than 25 million over the previous 10 years.  Now they can add this sun to that budget that they must have for police violence. 

That payment doesn't directly affect the police department finances it affects the city's finances. The Tamir Rice case in Ohio is a good example.  The city paid millions in a settlement after that officer shot the child and watched him die in the park. The office was uncharged and was not accountable in any way nor was anything changed within the department following the wrongful death.  

The police have a really good system set up in this country to protect them from accountability. 

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

7 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

I don't think that the officers or the department suffer any consequences from the $27 million...the tax payers pick up that tab, right? I'm pretty sure that I read some somewhere that the city of Milwaukee had paid more than 25 million over the previous 10 years.  Now they can add this sun to that budget that they must have for police violence. 

That payment doesn't directly affect the police department finances it affects the city's finances. The Tamir Rice case in Ohio is a good example.  The city paid millions in a settlement after that officer shot the child and watched him die in the park. The office was uncharged and was not accountable in any way nor was anything changed within the department following the wrongful death.  

The police have a really good system set up in this country to protect them from accountability. 

Definitely it hurts the taxpayers most and my opinion 27 million is too much.  I do agree that historically that settlements have little effect.  Look how little effect the Rodney King beating, settlement and subsequent riots had.   I guess time will tell how the culture in will change now in that city and elsewhere.

[toomuchbaloney]

4 minutes ago, Tweety said:

Definitely it hurts the taxpayers most and my opinion 27 million is too much.  I do agree that historically that settlements have little effect.  Look how little effect the Rodney King beating, settlement and subsequent riots had.   I guess time will tell how the culture in will change now in that city and elsewhere.

Indeed and it won't be comfortable.  We've seen before that when communities try to reform their police the first reaction from the police is often to refuse to do their jobs. That, and the reality that authoritarian personalities don't really like to take guidance from others and violent police departments are typically full of authoritarian attitudes. 

Another trial in the killing of George Floyd, this time for other officers at the scene

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/20/another-trial-killing-george-floyd-this-time-other-officers-scene/

The other officers are now going to have their day in court. 

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Bumping this as chauvin’s going away for a few decades. His deal gets him a from state prison to a federal one. My wife thinks that means an easier time for him, but I don’t agree. As a cop, he’s going to be in a protective unit no matter where he serves. I would assume he’s essentially going to be in isolation for quite a while. Good riddance. Probably be a civil suit next. 

https://www.MSN.com/en-us/news/crime/why-derek-chauvins-sentencing-moves-him-from-state-to-federal-prison/ar-AAZkJET

[heron, ASN, RN]

I wonder if he still thinks he was doing a good job.

[toomuchbaloney]

On 7/7/2022 at 5:36 PM, heron said:

I wonder if he still thinks he was doing a good job.

The police in that jurisdiction have a different concept of "good job"... in my view. 

[toomuchbaloney]

Former Minneapolis Officer Sentenced to Three Years in George Floyd Case https://nyti.ms/3BXRsTu

Quote

A former Minneapolis police officer, Thomas Lane, was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for his role in the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Mr. Lane, 39, who pleaded guilty in May to a second-degree manslaughter charge, has been serving a two-and-a-half-year federal sentence for violating Mr. Floyd’s civil rights and will serve the three-year sentence concurrently. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder.

Judge Peter A. Cahill, who has overseen the trial of all four officers charged in connection with Mr. Floyd’s death, accepted the plea agreement in Hennepin County District Court on Wednesday.

Justice is slow.