The attorney for George Floyd’s family says authorities have informed them charges will be filed against all officers involved in his death.
During a Monday interview on NBC’s Today, Ben Crump, the attorney for Floyd’s family, said he was informed that all four officers involved in Floyd’s death will face criminal charges.
“We heard that they expect to charge those officers,” Crump said. “And now with the autopsy, the independent autopsy from the family that pays particular attention to the two knees at the back compressing his lungs, which is equally important as the neck compression cutting off the flow of air … they will be charged, we understand. That is what the families are hearing from the authorities.”
An independent autopsy, which was commissioned by Floyd’s family, found that his death was a “homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain,” according to a Monday statement from the family’s lawyer.
The finding goes against a preliminary assessment from a Hennepin County medical examiner, which said there was no indication of “traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.” The initial report noted that Floyd had underlying health conditions such as coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease.
Derek Chauvin, the officer shown in a video that emerged online arresting and pinning Floyd with his knee, was taken into custody by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, though Crump is hoping to pursue a first-degree murder charge.
The four officers who arrested Floyd responded to a call from a grocery store claiming he used counterfeit money to purchase items. Video later released appears to show three officers pinning him down at one point.
All four officers involved have been fired from their positions in the police department.
