Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who is seen on a bystander's cellphone video kneeling on George Floyd's neck on Monday, has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd's death, according to Mike Freeman, Hennepin County attorney.
"He is in custody and has been charged with murder," Freeman said. "We have evidence, we have the citizen's video, the horrible, horrific, terrible thing we've seen over and over again."
Freeman said a detailed complaint would be made available later on Friday.
Protesters flooded the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., in the days following Floyd's killing, calling for justice.
The cellphone footage showed Floyd repeatedly moaning and gasping while he pleaded to Chauvin, "Please, I can't breathe." After several minutes, Floyd gradually grows quiet and ceases to move. Floyd's killing — which came after a swell of activism around the separate killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery — sparked nationwide outrage and prompted leaders of faith groups to speak out.
"Will George Floyd’s death finally be a tipping point in public consciousness and outrage that has been so elusive, when enough of us demand police accountability and declare definitely that black lives matter?" Sojourners Executive Director Adam Taylor wrote on Wednesday.
Reuters reporting contributed to this story.
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