MN Prosecutors Charge 3 More Officers  06/04 06:10

   Prosecutors charged three more police officers Wednesday in the death of 
George Floyd and filed a new, tougher charge against the officer at the center 
of the case, delivering a victory to protesters who have filled the streets 
from coast to coast to fight police brutality and racial injustice.

   MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Prosecutors charged three more police officers Wednesday 
in the death of George Floyd and filed a new, tougher charge against the 
officer at the center of the case, delivering a victory to protesters who have 
filled the streets from coast to coast to fight police brutality and racial 
injustice.

   The most serious charge was filed against Derek Chauvin, who was caught on 
video pressing his knee to Floyd's neck and now must defend himself against an 
accusation of second-degree murder. The three other officers at the scene were 
charged for the first time with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and 
second-degree manslaughter.

   All four were fired last week. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up 
to four decades in prison.

   Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree 
manslaughter. Those charges still stand.

   The new second-degree murder charge alleges that Chauvin caused Floyd's 
death without intent while committing another felony, namely third-degree 
assault. It carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, compared with a 
maximum of 25 years for third-degree murder.

   The other officers  Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao  face the same 
maximum penalties for aiding and abetting. All three men were in custody by 
Wednesday evening. Chauvin was arrested last week and is still being held.

   The multiple charges against each officer would offer a jury more options to 
find them guilty.

   The charges were sought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who 
called the protests unleashed by the death "dramatic and necessary" and said 
Floyd "should be here and he is not."

   "His life had value, and we will seek justice," said Ellison, who cautioned 
that winning convictions would be hard and said that public pressure had no 
bearing on his decisions.

   Hundreds of protesters were in New York City's Washington Square Park when 
the charges were announced.

   "It's not enough," protester Jonathan Roldan said, insisting all four 
officers should have been charged from the start. "Right now, we're still 
marching because it's not enough that they got arrested. There needs to be 
systematic change."

   Ben 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 by prosecutors 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.

   Nationwide, more than 9,000 have been arrested in connection with unrest. At 
least 12 deaths have been reported, though the circumstances in many cases are 
still being sorted out.

   Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaking after the new charges were announced, said 
the state and nation need to "seize the moment" and use the wrenching events of 
the past week to confront the effects of racism, including unequal educational 
and economic opportunities.

   "I think this is probably our last shot, as a state and as a nation, to fix 
this systemic issue," he said at a news conference.

   Also Wednesday, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office released the 
full autopsy report on Floyd, which noted he had previously tested positive for 
COVID-19, but was apparently asymptomatic. The report was released with the 
family's permission after summary findings Monday that said he had a heart 
attack while being restrained by officers.

   President Donald Trump has pushed the nation's governors to take a hard line 
against the violence. He again tweeted Wednesday: "LAW & ORDER!"

   An overpowering security force  including officers from the FBI Hostage 
Rescue Team, the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the 
Bureau of Prisons and, according to a senior defense official, at least 2,200 
National Guard soldiers  was out in force Wednesday as thousands of peaceful 
protesters demonstrated in the nation's capital. Some remained near the White 
House while others marched toward the Capitol building.

   Military vehicles were parked on streets near the White House, and an array 
of agencies kept watch from the air. An FBI plane, an Army surveillance plane 
and a Park Police helicopter circled overhead.

   At one point near the White House, protesters began singing "Amazing Grace" 
as they knelt in view of law enforcement officers in riot gear. "We are not 
going anywhere!" they chanted. There were no signs of confrontations.

   Protester Jade Jones, 30, said the demonstrations would continue despite the 
new charges.

   "That's the least they could do," said Jones, who had been attending 
Washington protests for days. "It's not going to wipe away 400 years of pain."

   "We are glad there are additional charges, but that doesn't mean justice has 
been served," she said.

   More than 20,000 National Guard members have been called up in 29 states to 
deal with the violence.

   In New York City, where high-end stores were looted in earlier days, some 
retailers fortified their property. At the luxury department store Saks Fifth 
Avenue, windows were boarded up, then covered in chain-link fencing and razor 
wire. The front of the store was guarded by a line of tattooed men with dogs. 
There was scuffling in some parts of the city Wednesday night, but no signs of 
major clashes between protesters and police.

   The protests have also taken root overseas.

   In Greece, police fired tear gas after young people attacked them Wednesday 
outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Some 4,000 protesters had been peaceful 
until near the end of the demonstration, when some threw gasoline bombs and 
stones at police. No injuries or arrests were reported. Other protests were 
held Wednesday in London, Helsinki, Rotterdam and Bogota, among other cities.

   The anger over Floyd's death has spilled into an array of racial issues 
across the U.S.

   In Philadelphia, for example, a statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo was 
removed by the city Wednesday after repeatedly being targeted by vandals. Rizzo 
presided over a police force widely accused of racism and brutality in the 
1970s.

   In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam was expected to announce plans Thursday for 
the removal of an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from 
Richmond's prominent Monument Avenue, a senior administration official told The 
Associated Press. The statue in the former Confederate capital has been the 
target of vandalism during the protests.