Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on Friday morning that he expected the four Minneapolis police officers who were involved in the death of George Floyd, a black man who died earlier this week after one of the officers dug his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes, would face criminal charges.
“I anticipate there will be charges. I hope they’re soon,” Ellison told CNN.
However, he noted that the charges against Derick Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck, and the other three officers standing nearby would be “the prerogative of another prosecuting authority,” who are “trying to make sure their case is strong and airtight.”
“Everybody believes that this is a violation of Mr. Floyd. And I believe that everybody wants to see these charges filed as soon as they can be,” the attorney general said. “But again, I do want to say we have seen cases that seem so clear go south.”
The FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating Floyd’s death, which was caught on camera by a onlooker at the scene.
Additionally, Chauvin and the police officers involved in the incident have been fired.
Floyd’s death sparked violent protests in Minneapolis, which have been roiling the city for the past several days.
