All four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s murder are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. According to CNN, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane will go before a judge sometime midday, though no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder in Floyd’s death, which came after he knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest on May 25. Kueng, Thao, and Lane are all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All four men were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin will appear via video (ITV), but the other three will appear in person. Chauvin’s bail was set at $1.25 million, and bail for Kueng, Thao and Lane was set at $1 million each. Notably, Kueng and Lane have been released on conditional bond, but Chauvin and Thao remain behind bars.
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Floyd’s funeral was held on June 9, and was attended by a number of high-profile mourners, such as Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, and Houston Texans player J.J. Watt. While he could not attend, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sent a pre-recorded video that was played for those who were in attendance in person. “As I’ve said to you privately, we know. We know you will never feel the same again,” Biden said. “Unlike most, you must grieve in public, and it’s a burden. A burden that is now your purpose to change the world for the better, in the name of George Floyd.”
Biden went on to say, “Ladies and gentlemen, we can’t turn away. We must not turn away. America can do better. America has no choice but to do better. We can heal this nation’s wounds. Today, now, is the time. The purpose, the season, to listen and heal.”
Floyd’s eulogy was delivered by long time civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton. He praised Floyd’s family for showing strength at such a tragic time and assured them that even when the “last TV truck is gone,” they will continue to have support from the community. “We must commit to this family that until these people pay for what they did, that we’re going to be with them because lives like George’s will not matter until someone pays the cost for taking their lives,” he said. Concluding his message, Sharpton said, “Your family is going to miss you, George, but your nation is always going to remember your name. We’re going to fight on.”
