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Four former Minneapolis police officers accused of violating George Floyd’s civil rights pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges in his v.
A federal grand jury indicted Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao on 25 May of 2020 , for allegedly depriving Floyd of his rights, while acted under the authority of the government.
Floyd, of 46 years, he was held face down, handcuffed and without resisting in a restraint that was captured on a video of passersby.
His death sparked protests around the world and pronouncements in favor of change at the police performance.
The four men appeared at the hearing remotely by videoconference.
Chauvin appeared from a room in the state maximum security prison , where is serving a sentence of 22 years and a half for the murder of Floyd.
The other three men appeared remotely alongside their lawyers.
Prosecutors and lawyers for the former officers also presented their positions on some 40 pre-trial motions on Tuesday.
Among them, Kueng and Thao have called for their federal trials to be separated from Chauvin’s , saying they would be unfairly harmed if they went to trial alongside him.
Lane asked to join that request, which is opposed by prosecutors.
Judge Tony N. Leung said he will accept oral arguments on that motion.
Keung’s attorney, Tom Plunkett, wrote in court documents that the evidence against Chauvin would confuse the jury and deprive Kueng of his right to a fair trial.
He also noted that there is a conflict of interest due to the level of Chauvin’s guilt in Floyd’s death, saying that “jurors will not be able to follow court instructions and compartmentalize the evidence regarding Kueng.”
Prosecutors have said in court documents that the four former officers should face trial together, because the charges stem from the same event and the evidence is similar .
The federal prosecution alleges that Chauvin violated Floyd’s right to be free from unreasonable seizures and unreasonable force by a police officer.
Thao and Kueng are accused of violating Floyd’s right by failing to intervene pa to stop Chauvin , as he knelt on Floyd’s neck.
Four officers are also charged with depriving Floyd of his rights when they failed to provide him medical care.
The four officers were also indicted in state court , where the Chauvin trial was eventually separated from the others due to space restrictions during the COVID pandemic – 19.
Chauvin was convicted in April of murder and manslaughter and was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.
The other three former officers face a state trial in March on charges of complicity and instigation.
Chauvin was also singled out in a separate federal indictment alleging that he violated the civil rights of a child of 14 years on 2017.
Meanwhile, the federal government is investigating police practices in Minneapolis.
The investigation known as a “pattern or practice”, which examines whether there is an unconstitutional or illegal pattern or practice of policing, includes a comprehensive review of the entire police department.
This investigation may lead to important changes in the police force in the city of Minnesota.
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