George Floyd: Ex Officers Connected to Murder Appear in Court, Bail Set at $1 Million

Bail has been set for three of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in the arrest and ultimate death of 46-year-old George Floyd. The trio appeared before a judge on Thursday, who set their bail at $1 million each, according to CNN. Their bail can be lowered to $750,000 under certain conditions, which include not working in law enforcement or contacting the members of Floyd's family.

J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were arrested Wednesday on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. The fourth officer, Derek Chauvin, was arrested on Friday on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter, though his charges were upgraded to second-degree on Wednesday. All four officers were present on May 25 when Floyd, who's black, was accused of trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a Minneapolis store. After being placed under arrest, Chauvin pressed his knee against the back of Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Both Lane and Kueng held Floyd down, while Kueng stood nearby and watched.

While speaking to the judge, Kueng's attorney Thomas Plunkett offered his condolences to Floyd's family. He said his client was on his third shift as a police officer when the incident with Floyd took place and claimed his client told Chauvin that "You can't do this." Similarly, Lane's attorney cited his work with area youths. The attorney also added that Lane had been the force for four days when Floyd's arrest took place, claiming that he was "doing everything he thought he was supposed to do as a four-day police officer."

All four officers were fired on May 26, though protests began to erupt across the country on May 28, calling for the arrest of all four. The protests have continued through Thursday, with other cities around the globe also taking part in voicing their opposition to police brutality, particularly against minorities.

The protests have seen widespread support from celebrities, with former President Barack Obama even addressing young black Americans during a virtual event, telling them "your lives matter," while encouraging them to remain "optimistic" about the future. "I want you to know that you matter, I want you to know that your lives matter, that your dreams matter, and when I go home and I look at the faces of my daughters, Sasha and Malia, and I look at my nephews and nieces, I see limitless potential that deserves to flourish and thrive," Obama said.