Officer charged in Floyd’s death has 1st court appearance

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder in George Floyd’s death is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday.

Derek Chauvin is also charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death. The handcuffed black man died after the white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.

Chauvin and three other officers on the scene were fired the next day. Floyd’s death set off protests, some violent, in Minneapolis that swiftly spread around the U.S. and the world.