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On Friday, the four officers appeared in court, all charged shortly after George Floyd’s death on May 25. Derek Chauvin is accused of premeditated murder, while J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are accused of aiding and inciting him.
Different stories
Murder defendant Derek Chauvin appeared in court for the first time on Friday. He didn’t even exchange a glance with his co-defendants. Photo: Cedric Hohnstadt / AP Photo
They all say that Floyd’s death could have been prevented, but at the same time he points out everyone but himself. According to court documents, each of the officers denies being responsible for the fatal arrest.
Lane and Thao, who were relatively new to the police, point out that it was experienced Chauvin who led the operation. Chauvin, for his part, claims that he only helped in an ongoing case.
They agree on one thing. The relationship between veteran Derek Chauvin and the other officers is central to the case, as they all have a very different perception of their role in the arrest.
– Died of overdose
Chauvin is the officer who was captured on film when he pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck. During the court hearing on Friday, he did not exchange a glance with his former colleagues.
Murder defendant Derek Chauvin was transported down the back road after the court hearing. Photo: David Joles / Star Tribune via AP
Chauvin’s defender, Eric Nelson, believes the new officers should take responsibility for the death, writes The Guardian.
He claims that Floyd died of an overdose and says death could have been prevented if officers Kueng and Lane had contacted the ambulance earlier. The two must have been the first on the scene.
Instead, they fought to control Floyd and forced him into the police car, which likely made his condition dramatically worse, the defender says.
Single policy-sak
The Washington Post writes that police officers have a habit of sticking together in cases of excessive use of force. The Floyd case may be a rare exception, where everyone involved blames each other.
– Most likely, an accusatory defense will take place during the trial, says defense attorney for Thomas Lane according to the newspaper.
Several protesters gathered in front of the courtroom on Friday. George Floyd’s deaths inspired large demonstrations against police violence and racism both in the United States and around the world. Photo: Kerem Yucel / AFP
– It is possible that all officers have a different version of what happened and blame each other, adds the defender.
Due to the different histories, all defense attorneys want the officers to be brought to court individually, rather than in a joint trial. They believe that the numerous accusations will threaten the right of every officer to a fair trial. Tax authorities are very critical of the proposal and say that four different trials will be a great strain for family members.
The case is expected to go to court in March of next year.
