Attorney for George Floyd's family calls for 1st degree murder charge

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is now charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with George Floyd's death Monday. Now, the Floyd family's attorney is calling for first-degree murder charges.

In a statement, attorney Ben Crump wrote, "The arrest of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the brutal killing of George Floyd is a welcome but overdue step on the road to justice. We expected a first-degree murder charge. We want a first-degree murder charge. And we want to see the other officers arrested."

"We call on authorities to revise the charges to reflect the true culpability of this officer. The pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto streets across America," he continued. "While this is a right and necessary step, we need the City of Minneapolis -- and cities across the country -- to fix the policies and training deficiencies that permitted this unlawful killing -- and so many others -- to occur. For four officers to inflict this kind of unnecessary, lethal force -- or watch it happen -- despite outcry from witnesses who were recording the violence -- demonstrates a breakdown in training and policy by the City. We fully expect to see the other officers who did nothing to protect the life of George Floyd to be arrested and charged soon."

"Today, George Floyd's family is having to explain to his children why their father was executed by police on video. It's essential that the City closely examines and changes its policing policies and training procedures to correct for the lack of proper field supervision; the use of appropriate, non-lethan restraint techniques; the ability to recognize medical signs associated with the restriction of airflow, and the legal duty to seek emergency medical care and stop a civil rights violation."