The four former Minneapolis police officers charged in connection with the death of George Floyd are pointing at one another in new court filings and at a Friday hearing. They are asking for separate trials, a change of venue because of heavy publicity, and a sequestered, anonymous jury.
Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are all facing charges over Floyd’s death on May 25. Chauvin is charged with second degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng and Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder and aiding and abetting manslaughter, according to The Guardian. All four are presumed innocent, and a trial is scheduled for March.
According to The Washington Post, the filings show each man offering a different version of events. Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, wrote that “there are very likely going to be antagonistic defenses presented at the trial.” Attorneys for Lane and Kueng say their clients were new officers who followed the lead of more experienced colleagues. Thao’s attorney, Bob Paule, said his client’s role was “absolutely distinct” because he was assigned to control the crowd.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, wrote that prosecutors must prove Chauvin intended to harm Floyd and that the other officers knew it. He argued that Lane and Kueng, who responded first to a call about a possible counterfeit bill, made contact with Floyd before Chauvin and Thao arrived and did not give him medical help. Nelson also wrote that Chauvin believed Floyd may have been experiencing an overdose, and argued that an earlier ambulance or different actions by the first officers might have changed the outcome.
Prosecutors disagree with the idea of separate trials. In a filing they wrote that all four defendants worked together, with three officers restraining Floyd while Thao kept bystanders back. Defense attorneys say evidence against one officer could hurt another’s right to a fair trial.
Baller Alert has followed this case since Floyd’s death and will continue to report on it as it develops.
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