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Report: Three more officers to be charged in Floyd’s death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The three other police officers on the scene when a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee on George Floyd’s neck are being charged with aiding and abetting a murder, and the case against the main officer is being upgraded to second-degree murder, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Star Tribune, citing multiple unnamed law enforcement sources, said Derek Chauvin would face the more serious charge in the death of George Floyd, who was handcuffed on the ground.

Three other officers at the scene — Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, the newspaper reported, again citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. All four of the officers had already been fired.

The new charges were to be filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who planned an announcement later Wednesday. His office did not respond to questions about the report.

Earl Gray, who represents Lane, told The Associated Press that the Star Tribune report was accurate. Before news of the new charges, an attorney for Chauvin said he was not making any statements. Attorneys for Thao and Kueng did not return messages seeking comment on the charges.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Floyd’s family, called it “a bittersweet moment” and “a significant step forward on the road to justice.” Crump said Elison had told the family he would continue his investigation into Floyd’s death and upgrade the charge to first-degree murder if warranted.

The move powerfully punctuated an unprecedented week in modern American history, in which largely peaceful protests took place in communities of all sizes but were rocked by bouts of violence, including deadly attacks on officers, rampant thefts and arson in some places.

Earlier Wednesday, in a visit to a makeshift shrine at the street corner where Floyd died, his family had again called for the arrests of Lane, Kueng and Thao, a demand echoed by their attorney.

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