George Floyd/ Derek Chauvin Thread

[Loachman]

Case against Minneapolis officers appears to be unraveling​

Might have to re-think the thread title a little bit.

The judge handed Derek 22.5 years.

Maybe after the appeal.

 

[brihard]

Good. He committed murder, and in doing so caused our profession no end of grief. We cannot claim to be good cops if we don’t welcome accountability and consequence for the bad ones. And in a profession of this size, there will be some bad ones who have to be dealt with. At least this went the way it should.

 

[mariomike]

At least this went the way it should.

Maybe he will have better luck with the Federal charges?

Still faces charges in federal court on violating Mr. Floyd's civil rights. No trial date has been set.

The three other fired officers have yet to have their state trials

 

[Haggis]

I was surprised by the sentence. Given the damage his actions caused to the law enforcement profession and the second and third order deaths reaulting from the societal backlash against police, I expected a much longer sentence.

 

[mariomike]

The taxpayers of Minneapolis also wrote a cheque for $27M US payable to Mr. Floyd's family for their loss.

Although money can never bring him back to them.

 

[Maxman1]

Seeing as one of the jurors admitted - multiple times - to lying to the judge about an automatic disqualification (attending a protest against the accused), and another juror claimed they were going to declare him guilty no matter what, an appeal seems likely.

A right to a fair trial must be upheld, no matter what scumbag is before the court.

 

[brihard]

Seeing as one of the jurors admitted - multiple times - to lying to the judge about an automatic disqualification (attending a protest against the accused), and another juror claimed they were going to declare him guilty no matter what, an appeal seems likely.

A right to a fair trial must be upheld, no matter what scumbag is before the court.

Could well be. As it stands, he’s a convicted murderer, and we all saw what he did, and what he failed to do. You simply don’t do that. I fully agree about the right to a fair trial, and if there is an appeal and a new trial based on that, so be it.

 

[mariomike]

For anyone interested, the federal civil rights indictment ( separate from the state charges ) the four former officers are facing,

Four Former Minneapolis Police Officers Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Death of George Floyd;​

Four Former Minneapolis Police Officers Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Death of George Floyd; Derek Chauvin Also Charged in Separate Indictment for Violating Civil Rights of a Juvenile

A federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota returned two indictments that were unsealed today. The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their...

www.justice.gov

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The taxpayers of Minneapolis also wrote a cheque for $27M US payable to Mr. Floyd's family for their loss.

Although money can never bring him back to them.

Judging by Mr Floyd criminal record, they are better off with the cash. I wonder if any of the families of his victims can now go after that cash?

 

[OldSolduer]

Judging by Mr Floyd criminal record, they are better off with the cash. I wonder if any of the families of his victims can now go after that cash?

That’s a very good question. I guess it depends on US and Minnesota law.

 

[mariomike]

I wonder if any of the families of his victims can now go after that cash?

For reference to the discussion, another recent Minnesota case.

Daunte Wright's Estate Sued by Alleged Victims of His Violent Crimes

In May 2019, 16-year-old Caleb Livingston was at a gas station in Minneapolis when Wright allegedly pulled out a gun and shot him in the head, according to one of the lawsuits.

www.policemag.com

As ex-Brooklyn Center, MN, police officer Kim Potter is awaiting a manslaughter trial in the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, victims of Wright's alleged gun violence are suing his estate.

 

[mariomike]

This Defense tactic to "shift the blame" caught my eye during Derek's trial,

As Derek Chauvin’s defense attorney attempted to shift blame from the former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death, he questioned paramedics on delays in their efforts to resuscitate Floyd.

But one paramedic told jurors that he thought Floyd was already dead when he checked for a pulse while Chauvin was still pinning Floyd to the ground.

Both paramedics testified that they saw no sign that Floyd was alive at that point.

Paramedic Derek Smith testified that after checking for a pulse and not finding one, he quickly concluded: “In layman’s terms? I thought he was dead.”

Officer Thomas Lane told a paramedic, “We were basically just restraining him until you guys got here.”

But Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo has testified officers are trained in basic first aid, including chest compressions, and department policy requires them to provide necessary aid as soon as possible before paramedics arrive.

I'm no legal SME. But, my guess is, the upcoming federal civil rights indictment and trial against the four former officers will focus on their interaction with paramedics on scene,

The indictment alleges that all four defendants saw Mr. Floyd lying on the ground in clear need of medical care and willfully failed to aid him. The indictment alleges that by doing so, all four defendants willfully deprived Mr. Floyd of his constitutional right not to be deprived of liberty without due process of law, which includes an arrestee’s right to be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs. The indictment alleges that this offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, Mr. Floyd.

It was different before telephones with cameras, Youtube, the civil rights protests, and massive civil suits against city taxpayers.

In the 1970's we weren't aware of "Positional asphyxia". "Sandwiching" face down with backboards, or "scoop" stretchers was common. ( They were curved, for "scooping". Coincidentally, shaped similar to police riot shields. ) We were equipped with straitjackets ( that's how it is spelled ) and padded leather body straps. Of course, the police rode in the back to the hospital ( .38's unloaded ) with the patient handcuffed ( behind the back ) prone on the stretcher ( which typically had the head elevated for extra effect ).

These were typically drug overdoses and out-patients from the mental hospitals released during the de-institutionalization era.

I'm not justifying the method. We didn't know any better back then, and weren't trained as well as they are now.

 

[Kilted]

That’s a very good question. I guess it depends on US and Minnesota law.

It appears that the statute of limitations in Minnesota varies between 2 and 6 years. The more serious torts are on the lower end of that time frame.

 

[Kilted]

The convenience store he tried to pass off the fake bill at might have a case against him, although they probably have a better case against the police department, or many even BLM, although finding them liable would be very difficult

 

[mariomike]

With all the conversation about statues being defaced and taken down ( legally, or otherwise ), it seems George Floyd statues are not immune.

"george floyd" defaced - Google Search

They are being investigated as hate crimes.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Seeing as one of the jurors admitted - multiple times - to lying to the judge about an automatic disqualification (attending a protest against the accused), and another juror claimed they were going to declare him guilty no matter what, an appeal seems likely.

A right to a fair trial must be upheld, no matter what scumbag is before the court.

With the proliferation of social media and the 24 hour news media; can an unbiased jury be reasonably expected anymore ?

 

[mariomike]

The "unraveling" continues.

$27 million USD from the City to the family.

22.5 years for Derek in the Minnesota state pen.

All four officers fired and still facing Federal civil rights charges.

And in today's news, new state murder charges,

Court OKs 3rd-degree murder against 3-ex cops in Floyd death

The Minnesota Court of Appeals says prosecutors may file aiding and abetting third-degree murder charges against three former Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd

abcnews.go.com

 

[mariomike]

In related news, another "deadly restraint" lawsuit coming to trial.

This time against the City and County of Fresno, California.

Paramedic has police help him make a "psycho sandwich" ... patient dies.

Deadly restraint: Internal records reveal what officers, paramedics did and why

Action News has unearthed new records from the investigation into how a Fresno man died while restrained by law enforcement.

abc30.com

 

[daftandbarmy]

In related news, another "deadly restraint" lawsuit coming to trial.

This time against the City and County of Fresno, California.

Paramedic has police help him make a "psycho sandwich" ... patient dies.

Deadly restraint: Internal records reveal what officers, paramedics did and why

Action News has unearthed new records from the investigation into how a Fresno man died while restrained by law enforcement.

abc30.com

What a terrible situation to be thrust into, on both accounts.

 

[mariomike]

What a terrible situation to be thrust into, on both accounts.

Right.

"He was pretty much fighting the whole time," the paramedic said to internal affairs investigators. "I mean, it took a little bit of force to try to keep him down on the board on top of him. And continued to keep yelling. And then at some point, he became unresponsive."

Prior to the publication of "Positional Asphyxia-Death By EMS" in 1998, not much was heard about it.

Since cell phone cameras and body cams it is receiving more attention.

Anyone with an interest in Restraint Asphyxia may, or may not, wish to read this about the subject.

RESTRAINT ASPHYXIA – SILENT KILLER

Restraint Asphyxia Silent Killer, Part ONE

Restraint Asphyxia Silent Killer, Part TWO

Restraint Asphyxia Silent Killer, Part Three

Haven't read of many criminal convictions. But, some serious financial lawsuits over the years.