TrueStar Staff 
Since the death of George Floyd a lot has happened. For days, people across the globe have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and the arrest of all four officers involved Floyd’s death which took place May 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With a case like this, facts change all the time. Today is no different.
This afternoon during a press conference, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that all four police officers would be arrested. Derek Chauvin, who had his knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, was the first to be arrested. His initial charge of third degree murder was upgraded to second degree murder. The three other officers, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who helped restrain Floyd, and Tou Thao, who stood close by, were charged with aiding and abetting a murder. The three officers were not charged initially. The incident was caught on video and took place in front of bystanders.
Second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree murder are punishable by up to 40 years in prison. Manslaughter and aiding and abetting manslaughter are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, CNN reported. Because the investigation is ongoing more changes could happen.
“I’m tired of seeing Black people dying over anything.” These are the words of Philonise Floyd, brother to George Floyd. Since the death of his brother George, he and his other brother, Terence Floyd, have spoken at rallies and protests. “I want everybody to be peaceful right now, but people are torn and hurt because they are tired of seeing Black men die,” said Philonise.
Terrence spoke at the site of his brother’s murder to a crowd of protesters saying, “Educate yourself, and know who you’re voting for. That’s how we’re going to hit them…Let’s switch it up.” He urged the protestors to be peaceful. “If I’m not over there blowing up stuff, messing up my community, what are y’all doing?”
The Floyd family have all said in various interviews that they want peace, however, they have also said they understand the rioters and protesters and want justice for their fallen brother. Terrence told protestors that his family is “peaceful” and “God-fearing.” He pleaded with rioters to stop destroying the community adding that George Floyd would not want this.
It took eight minutes to take a human life with no remorse, yet it took over a week to arrest the murderers. Justice for George Floyd, as well as all the other lives lost at the hands of an unjust system, is something that we are all still waiting for.
By Patience Hurston
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