Episode 34 – The Murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd walked into Cup Foods Store in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to buy cigarettes. He paid and walked out of the store. The store clerk believed the $20 bill Floyd used was counterfeit, so at 8pm he called the police. This is something Cup Foods employees had done a dozen times when they received what they believed to be counterfeit money.
Officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng were the first officers on scene. They handcuffed Floyd, who was sitting in his car outside of the Cup Foods with two other people. Soon thereafter, Army Reserve Veteran and Officer Derek Chauvin and Officer Tou Thao arrived on scene. After a struggle, Floyd found himself face down in the pavement parallel to the squad car, with Officer Chauvin’s knee in his neck.
Bystanders quickly began filming on their phones and they filmed a horrific act. Three police officers (Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao) watched as 19-year police veteran Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Screams of “check his pulse” erupt from the bystanders after Floyd stopped talking and moving, but the bystanders’ cries went unanswered.
Floyd was pronounced dead at 9:25pm.
Join Margot as she discusses the facts of the case and the charges against the four officers.
46-year old George Floyd.
Image found here.
Officers Charged with George Floyd’s Murder: Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao.
Image found here.
New York Times Reconstruction Video
Unedited Footage of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck.
Darnella Frazier, 17-year old that caught entire video of George Floyd, speaks out!
Dr. Baden, Reported Independent Autopsy, Speaks
NBC Legal Analyst – Danny Cevallos discusses charges against all 4 police officers.
Episode 34 Resources:
- Darnella Frazier Captures the last moments of George Floyd’s life, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUav_lXMbnU&feature=emb_logo.
- Darnella Frazier speaks out the day after George Floyd was murdered, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXKMih20Ur0&bpctr=1592160128.
- Evan Hill, Ainara Tiefenthaler, Christiaan Triebert, Drew Jordan, Haley Willis, and Robin Stein, “8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody,” May 31, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html (last accessed on 4 Jun 20). à Watch Video (also available on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vksEJR9EPQ8&t=9s&bpctr=1592159749)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYTIT6d6Vgk (Dr. Baden Explains the pressure that caused George Floyd’s murder).
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpJDAA0HWQs (NBC News Legal Analysis)
- https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6933246/Derek-Chauvin-Complaint.pdf – criminal complaint – pdf (dated 29 May 20).
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/docs/Complaint_Chauvin.pdf (amended complaint)
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/06/03_GeorgeFloyd.asp
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/docs/Complaint_Kueng.pdf (Kueng Complaint)
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/docs/Complaint_Lane.pdf (Lane Complaint)
- https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2020/docs/Complaint_Thoa.pdf (Thoa Complaint)
- Bernard Condon, Todd Richmond and Michael Sisak, ABC 7 News, “What to Know About 4 Officers Charged in George Floyd’s death,” June 3, 2020, https://abc7.com/derek-chauvin-thomas-lane-tou-thao-j-alexander-kueng/6229951/ (last accessed on 3 Jun 20).
- com, “Wife of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin Requests to Change Her Last Name in Divorce Filing,” June 3, 2020, https://people.com/crime/derek-chauvin-wife-asks-change-name-divorce/ (last accessed on 3 Jun 20).
- The Marshall Project, Derek Chauvin, https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/9148-derek-chauvin (last accessed on 3 Jun 20).
- Fox8 by CNNwire, “Derek Chauvin: What We Know About the Former Officer Charged in George Floyd’s Death,” June 1, 2020, https://fox8.com/news/derek-chauvin-what-we-know-about-the-former-officer-charged-in-george-floyds-death/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Talia Naquin, Fox8, “A Timeline of What Led to Protests, Violence Across the Nation After the Murder of George Floyd,” May 31, 2020, https://fox8.com/news/a-timeline-of-what-led-to-protests-violence-across-the-nation-after-the-murder-of-george-floyd/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Nexstar Media Wire on Fox8, “George Floyd’s children denounce violence following protests across the country,” June 1, 2020, https://fox8.com/news/george-floyds-children-denounce-violence-following-protests-across-the-country/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- https://www.boston.com/news/national-news-2/2020/06/03/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-case-update (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- AP news on Boston.com, “Murder Charge Upgraded Against Derek Chauvin in George Floyd case; 3 Other Fired Officers Charges, June 3, 2020, https://www.boston.com/news/national-news-2/2020/06/03/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-case-update (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Officer Autopsy Report, May 26, 2020, https://www.hennepin.us/-/media/hennepinus/residents/public-safety/documents/Autopsy_2020-3700_Floyd.pdf (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- David Griswold, Kare 11 News, “Independent Autopsy Says George Floyd Died From ‘Asphyxiation From Sustained Pressure,’” June 1, 2020, https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/independent-autopsy-says-george-floyd-died-from-asphyxiation-from-sustained-pressure/89-ac2e46ce-5d9d-406d-b1ca-70ca8f479547 (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/independent-autopsy-george-floyd-findings-announced/story?id=70994827 (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Erin Donaghue, CBS News, “Two Autopsies Both Find George Floyd Died By Homicide, But Differ on Some Key Details,” June 3, 2020, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-floyd-death-axphyxiation-two-autopsies-homicide-details/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Amy Forliti and Steve Karnowski, AP News on KCRA 3, “New Charges Filed Against All Officers Involved in George Floyd Killing,” June 3, 2020, https://www.kcra.com/article/new-charges-filed-against-all-officers-involved-in-george-floyd-killing-klobuchar-says/32758267 (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- BBC News, “George Floyd Death: New Charges for All Four Sacked Officers,” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52915019 (last accessed on June 4, 2020).
- Ivan Pereira, ABC News, “Nationwide Protests Return Focus to Why George Floyd Was Initially Detained,” June 2, 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/US/nationwide-protests-return-focus-george-floyd-initially-detained/story?id=71004393 (last accessed on 4 Jun 20). à gives reason he was stopped
- “City of Minneapolis Releases Transcript of 911 Call on George Floyd,” May 28, 2020, https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/28/city-of-minneapolis-releases-transcript-of-911-call-on-george-floyd-released/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- Fox News, “Cup Foods Owner Says He Will Pay for Floyd’s Funeral, Told Employee to ‘Call the Police on the Police,’” June 2, 2020, https://fox6now.com/2020/06/02/cup-foods-owner-says-he-will-pay-for-george-floyds-funeral/ (last accessed on 4 Jun 20).
- https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/us/derek-chauvin-criminal-complaint-trnd/index.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/live-george-floyd-protests-today.html
- https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11762257/who-derek-chauvins-wife-kellie-chauvin/ (all about Kellie Chauvin)
- https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2014/04/portland_police_hobble_restrai.html (the hobble restraint)
- http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/policy/mpdpolicy_index (Minneapolis PD Policies & Procedures)
- https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/george-floyd-updates-june-4/89-31d585f6-b0a0-458a-b6fe-553f77ecb8be (banning choke holds)
- https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-look-at-some-of-the-differences-between-the-criminal-complaints-filed-against-derek-chauvin
- http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@mpd/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-224680.pdf (fire department report)
- https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Order%20signed%20by%20Judge%206.8.20_tcm1061-435169.pdf
- https://time.com/5846649/insurrection-act-1807-donald-trump/
- https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/obama-bush-carter-george-floyd-protests.html (Ex-President’s talk about George Floyd)
- https://www.stripes.com/news/us/ex-minneapolis-cop-charged-in-george-floyd-s-death-served-eight-years-in-army-reserve-1.632456
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52871936 (All about George Floyd)
- https://news.sky.com/story/who-was-george-floyd-the-gentle-giant-who-loved-his-hugs-11997206 (Who was George Floyd?)
- https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/05/28/george-floyd-remembered-gentle-giant-family-calls-death-murder/5265668002/
- https://www.fox9.com/news/depraved-mind-what-officer-noors-third-degree-murder-charge-means (Depraved Heart Defined)
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/03/what-we-know-fake-currency-and-george-floyds-death-minneapolis-counterfeit-police/3137162001/ ($20 Bill is now evidence)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd#cite_note-:0-2
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/nyregion/james-demarco-franklinville-george-floyd-protest.html (counter protest in NJ)
- https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nj-trump-supporter-mocks-george-floyds-death-as-protesters-passed/2425224/
- https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/05/28/us/minneapolis-officer-complaints-george-floyd/index.html/ (Officer Thao 2017 lawsuit)
- https://heavy.com/news/2020/06/j-alexander-kueng/
