Courtesy Ben Crump LawBY: BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC NEWS
(MINNEAPOLIS) — The family of George Floyd filed a federal civil lawsuit on Wednesday against the city of Minneapolis and the police officers involved in the death of the 46-year-old Black man that ignited nationwide protests and demands to major reform to U.S. policing.
The lawsuit was announced at a news conference outside the Diana Murphy U.S. Courthouse in Minneapolis that was attended by members of Floyd’s family.
Four police officers involved in Floyd’s death have all been fired and criminally charged, including Derek Chauvin, who was captured on cellphone video digging his knee into the back of Floyd’s neck on May 25 as Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” and called out for his dead mother.
Chauvin, a 44-year-old white man, has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
Former police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Kiernan Lane and Tou Thao are all charged with second-degree aiding and abetting felony murder and second-degree aiding and abetting manslaughter. Lane and Kueng were rookie officers.
None of the former officers have yet entered a plea. But court documents show Kueng intends to plead not guilty and will argue self-defense.
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