Following the tragic killing of George Floyd, Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, a charge since upgraded from the initial third-degree charge. Not only that, but Chauvin was also charged with second-degree manslaughter; the other three officers involved in Floyd's death, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, received aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and aiding and second-degree manslaughter.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Today, Chauvin is set to make his first court appearance, albeit by way of a video call. He's set to face the judge at the Hennepin County District Court this afternoon, at 12:45 p.m. It should be noted that the world will be watching this one closely, as footage of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck for nine minutes has been sadly seared into many people's memories. To say there is public pressure on getting this one right is an understatement.
As stated earlier, the charges originally filed against Chauvin were third-degree. On Wednesday, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced he was elevating the charges, in itself a positive sign that justice will be served. "The very fact that we have filed these charges means that we believe in them," maintained Ellison, speaking on his decision. Keep an eye out for Chauvin's court appearance to take place this afternoon; we'll be sure to have the developments as they transpire.