The US Justice Department is opening an investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after the murder conviction of former officer Derek Chauvin, it has been announced. Chauvin, 45, was unanimously found guilty of the second and third degree murder and second degree manslaughter of George Floyd, 46, on 25 May, last year. As the former
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US President Joe Biden has welcomed the conviction of Derek Chauvin and said it can be a “moment of significant change” after the white former police officer was found guilty of murdering 46-year-old black man George Floyd. A jury unanimously convicted 45-year-old Chauvin of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after 10-and-a-half hours of
A jury has unanimously convicted Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd. Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin had denied charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. But after 10 and a half hours of deliberations, the jury convicted him of all charges. Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died while being restrained
The fate of Derek Chauvin is now in the hands of 12 jurors. Selected after an exhaustive process, a dozen Minnesotans – six white, six black or mixed-race, aged between their 20s and 60s – are now the focus of a nation’s expectations. Three weeks of testimony have been distilled into a few hours of
Derek Chauvin’s trial has heard the fatal case of George Floyd “wasn’t policing, this was murder”, as both sides made their closing arguments. The jury has now been sent out and will start considering its verdict over Mr Floyd‘s death in the US city of Minneapolis last year. Former police officer Chauvin has pleaded not
Vandals have targeted the former home of a witness who testified in Derek Chauvin’s defence in the trial of the killing of George Floyd. Police were called after a group of people dressed in black sprayed the property with blood and dumped a pig’s head on the porch at around 3am on Saturday. The house
Half of all adults in the US have received at least one COVID-19 jab, according to new figures. Almost 130 million people aged 18 or older have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said almost 84
US regulators have warned people to stop using a Peloton treadmill if they have children or pets. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has received dozens of reports of children and animals being pulled underneath the Tread+ machine and becoming trapped. One child has died, and others have been left with injuries including
Elon Musk’s private space company SpaceX has won a $2.9bn (£2.1bn) NASA contract to build a spacecraft to put humans on the moon. The tech billionaire’s firm was chosen ahead of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and defence contractor Dynetics Inc. Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s acting administrator, said at a video conference: “We should accomplish
Joe Biden has described mass shootings as a “national embarrassment” that has to end. A day after eight people were killed in an attack at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, the US president said more must be done to reduce gun violence – and urged Congress to ban military-style assault weapons. “Too many Americans are
Bodycam footage of a police officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy last month appears to show the teenager holding his hands up before he is shot. Adam Toledo can be seen running away from police down an alley in Chicago as the officer shouts for him to stop and show his hands. The boy stops
Eight people have been killed in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. At least four people are in hospital – one with critical injuries – while two others were treated at the scene and released following the incident late on Thursday. Police earlier said multiple people were injured and had been transported to
Former police officer Derek Chauvin has refused to testify in court over the killing of George Floyd as the defence rested its case and the murder trial was adjourned. At the start of Thursday’s proceedings Chauvin informed the court that he would not testify, invoking his 5th Amendment right not to take the stand. “Is
A long-time suspect in the disappearance of California student Kristin Smart almost 25 years ago has been charged with her murder, while his father is accused of helping to conceal her body. Paul Flores, 44, was the last person seen with Ms Smart when she vanished on 25 May 1996. She had been returning to
A former police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop in Minnesota will be charged with second-degree manslaughter, a prosecutor has said. The incident, which saw Daunte Wright, 20, die, unfolded on Sunday just over 10 miles from where George Floyd died last year. Kim Potter, the officer who fired the
The defence has begun in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd. One of the first witnesses contradicted prosecution evidence and said the force used on Mr Floyd was justified and reasonable because he kept struggling. Barry Brodd, a consultant in the use of police force, said Derek Chauvin