Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), who has taken over the criminal case in the death of George Floyd, said Monday he is “serious about justice and will pursue it.”
A week ago, Floyd died in police custody after an officer knelt on his neck in a scene captured on video that has stirred a nation into a days-long protest and uprising that show no sign of stopping.
In an interview with SiriusXM host Joe Madison, Ellison said he will launch a comprehensive review of the video footage and audio tapes, considering all of the evidence in the case before advancing with any hasty charging decisions.
Former police officer Derek Chauvin, who used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck against the ground for close to nine minutes as Floyd pleaded that he couldn’t breathe and then fell silent and motionless, has already been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers were fired last Tuesday but have not been charged. Some protesters are vowing not to yield until charges have been issued against the remaining officers.
Ellison said any further charges will proceed “based on the facts that we can prove.”
“I don’t deny that your eyes are working well and you saw what you saw,” Ellison said. But that doesn’t mean that when we get to a courtroom that it’s going to be some sort of easy slam dunk. History proves that it isn’t.”
