What to know about the federal trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death
That includes Darnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed the viral video of Floyd’s death; Donald Williams, a bystander who urged the officers to get off Floyd; and Genevieve Hanson, an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter who was blocked by Thao when she asked to check Floyd’s pulse. Prosecutors are also expected to call current and former Minneapolis police officers to the stand to testify about officer training — including on use of force and the department’s duty-to-intervene policy, which dictates that officers are required to intervene when they see a colleague violating department training and standards.
washingtonpost.com‘Actions Deviated from His Oath’: Officer Involved In High Speed Chase That Killed Uncle of Teen Who Captured George Floyd’s Death to Face Charges
Minneapolis police officer Brian Cummings is facing multiple charges, including one count of criminal vehicular homicide, in connection with a July high-speed chase that killed […]
news.yahoo.comFamily seeks charges against Minneapolis cop in fatal chase
The family of an innocent motorist who was killed when a Minneapolis police officer crashed into him while chasing a suspect called Friday for the officer to be fired and prosecuted. The crash this week fatally injured Leneal Frazier, 40, an uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenager who was given a special citation by the Pulitzer Prizes for recording cellphone video of George Floyd’s arrest and death last year. Police have said Officer Brian Cummings had his lights and siren activated Tuesday as he pursued a suspect in a carjacking and several robberies, and that the suspect ran a red light just before Cummings crashed into Frazier's vehicle in a residential neighborhood.
news.yahoo.comShe Filmed George Floyd’s Final Moments. Now Her Uncle Has Been Killed by a Cop Car.
Minneapolis Police Department/Handout via ReutersAn innocent man who was killed when a Minneapolis Police Department squad car slammed into his vehicle was the uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teenage bystander who recorded the 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white cop.Leneal Lamont Frazier, 62, died when his SUV was struck around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning by a police cruiser. The officer was reportedly chasing another driver—who has not been publicly identified—wanted for carjackin
news.yahoo.comTeen who recorded Floyd's arrest loses uncle in police crash
The teenager who recorded the last moments of George Floyd's life in a video that helped launch a global protest movement against racial injustice said her uncle has died in a crash involving a Minneapolis police car. Darnella Frazier said in a Facebook post that Leneal Lamont Frazier died early Tuesday after his vehicle was struck by the squad car that police said was pursuing another driver linked to several robberies. Frazier was not involved in the pursuit and his niece questioned why police were conducting a high-speed chase on a residential road.
news.yahoo.comDarnella Frazier says her uncle was killed by a police car that was chasing a robbery suspect
Leneal Lamont Frazier, the 40-year-old uncle of the teen who filmed George Floyd's murder, was not being pursued by police when he was killed by a squad car early Tuesday, authorities said.
washingtonpost.comTeen who recorded Floyd's arrest, death wins Pulitzer nod
The teenager who pulled out her cellphone and began recording when she saw George Floyd being pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer was given a special citation by the Pulitzer Prizes on Friday for her video that helped to launch a global movement to protest racial injustice. Darnella Frazier was cited “for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality, around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice," the Pulitzer Prizes said.
news.yahoo.comNew Jersey teacher curses at Black students, calls George Floyd ‘criminal’
A New Jersey teacher has been removed from the virtual classroom after going a profanity-laced rant against his students about race, Black Lives Matter and George Floyd. Dickinson High School teacher Howard Zlotkin was instructing a lesson about climate change before the conversation turned to race, reports NBC New York. Dickinson High School senior Timmia Williams, 17, said Zlotkin became more irate as he yelled and cursed at students.
news.yahoo.comTeen Charged With Murder For Shooting Stepfather at Birthday Celebration in Houston
A 16-year-old boy in Houston has been charged with murder for the alleged shooting and killing of his stepfather at a local restaurant on Wednesday night. The Houston police said the family gathered for a birthday celebration at Shabu Zone in the Hong Kong City Mall on the 11200 block of Bellaire Boulevard when the shooting occurred shortly after 6 p.m., Click2Houston reported. According to investigators, the stepson went to the restroom and returned with a semi-automatic pistol in hand before shooting the stepfather once in the head.
news.yahoo.comMcConnell Urges Ed Dept to Abandon ‘1619 Project’ Curriculum Changes: ‘Buzzwords and Propaganda’
In a letter to Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell demanded the Department of Education recall proposed changes to public education curricula which rely on the anti-American civics curriculum, the “1619 Project.” “Your Proposed Priorities double down on divisive, radical, and historically-dubious buzzwords and propaganda,” McConnell wrote in the letter, obtained by Politico. “Americans do not need or want their tax dollars diverted from promoting the principles that unite our nation toward promoting radical ideologies meant to divide us.” McConnell, speaking on behalf of 37 Senate Republicans, cited plummeting national education standards, such as poor student proficiency in U.S. history and civics, and insufficient popular support as justifications to reject the department’s proposal. “Families did not ask for this divisive nonsense. Voters did not vote for it. Americans never decided our children should be taught that our country is inherently evil,” he wrote. “If your Administration had proposed actual legislation instead of trying to do this quietly through the Federal Register, that legislation would not pass Congress.” The rule changes, or “Proposed Priorities,” specifically cites the controversial 1619 Project, and would tie Department of Education funding to the adoption of the prescribed 1619-inspired civics curricula. The 1619 Project is a special feature of The New York Times Magazine which sought to reorient American history around the notion that the preservation of slavery has always been an essential feature of the national fabric, even motivating the American revolution. The 1619 Project authors also developed an accompanying curriculum, which as already been adopted by several public school systems across the country. McConnell confirmed that many reputable historians have debunked the projects’s many “factual and historical errors.” The inclusion of the 1619 Project in the proposal likely triggered the opposition statement from McConnell and GOP senators. McConnell reiterated the importance of instilling the history and principles of the country’s founding and subsequent chapters that unite American citizens over common ethnicity, race, or language. He insisted that the Department of Education’s initiative is a significant departure from the bipartisan understanding of history that obtained until recently and which held that students should receive a robust, comprehensive knowledge of America’s institutions and historical development. “Our nation’s youth do not need activist indoctrination that fixates solely on past flaws and splits our nation into divided camps,” he continued. “Taxpayer-supported programs should emphasize the shared civic virtues that bring us together, not push radical agendas that tear us apart.”
news.yahoo.comSt. Louis couple who confronted protesters back in court
A St. Louis couple accused of waving guns at racial injustice protesters last summer are due back in court Friday, when a judge will consider whether to send the case back to a grand jury to decide if they should have been indicted in the first place. A St. Louis grand jury indicted Mark and Patricia McCloskey in October on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence. Their attorney, Joel Schwartz, filed a motion this month seeking to remand the case to the grand jury, citing “bias” in St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office that he said tainted the grand jury process.
news.yahoo.comThe Chicago cop who fatally shot a Latino man asked another officer to cuff him as he lay bleeding. The officer gave the man medical aid instead.
Body-camera video shows the Chicago cop who shot Anthony Alvarez asked another officer to cuff the dying man. That officer provided aid instead.
news.yahoo.comChauvin juror: After intense trial, verdict was 'easy part'
A juror who cast one of the unanimous votes to convict a white former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death said Wednesday that deliberations were relaxed and methodical as he and 11 other jurors quickly talked their way to agreement in parts of just two days.
EXPLAINER: Video dominates trial in George Floyd's death
In this image from Minneapolis city surveillance video, Minneapolis police are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. AdThe video shows Chauvin with his knee wedged into the back of Floyd’s neck. Despite the disturbing video, prosecutors still must show some supporting evidence that it was Chauvin’s actions that contributed to Floyd's death, especially to prove murder. But many legal experts say the video evidence in Chauvin's case is among the most convincing they have ever seen. Under rules of trial procedure in Minnesota, they can ask the judge if they can see video evidence again.
2 views of Floyd onlookers: Desperate to help, or angry mob
There is a growing crowd and what officers perceive to be a threat.”The carefully calibrated language by each side is no accident. She admitted raising her voice and using foul language “because I was desperate” to help Floyd. Nelson asked if Williams grew angrier as the arrest continued, and the mixed martial arts fighter agreed that he did. When Williams appeared to step off the curb and Thao touched him, Nelson said Williams threatened the officer. She confirmed to him that as time went on, more people gathered, voices became louder, and people got more angry.
Ex-cop told onlooker Floyd was big, 'probably on something'
AdWhen Floyd was finally taken away by paramedics, Charles McMillian, a 61-year-old bystander who recognized Chauvin from the neighborhood, told the officer he didn't respect what Chauvin had done. At one point, he threw his upper body out of the car, and officers tried to push him back in. Lane was heard saying officers found a “weed pipe” on Floyd and wondered if he might be on PCP, saying Floyd's eyes were shaking back and forth fast. The officer also asked twice if the officers should roll Floyd on his side, and later said calmly that he thought Floyd was passing out. She later told the judge that she had been feeling stress and having trouble sleeping, but told the judge she was OK to proceed.
Teen who filmed George Floyd's fatal arrest gives emotional testimony
Teen who filmed George Floyd's fatal arrest gives emotional testimony Darnella Frazier, the teen who filmed the widely-viewed cellphone video of George Floyd's fatal arrest, gave emotional testimony in the trial of Derek Chauvin on Tuesday. CBS Minnesota's Christiane Cordero reports.
cbsnews.comWitnesses: Onlooker anger increased as Floyd stopped moving
It seemed as if he didn’t care what we were saying,” said 18-year-old Darnella Frazier, one of several witnesses who testified through tears. Floyd was arrested after being accused of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. Williams admitted under questioning that he told Thao he would beat the officers if Thao touched him again. But witnesses also testified that no bystanders actually interfered with police. From Chauvin, and from officer Thao.”Also Tuesday, prosecutors played cellphone video recorded by yet another bystander, 18-year-old Alyssa Funari, that showed onlookers shouting and screaming at Chauvin after Floyd stopped moving.
EXPLAINER: In ex-cop's trial, defense promises video too
In this image from Minneapolis city surveillance video, Minneapolis police are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. But many legal experts say the video evidence in Chauvin's case is among the most convincing they have ever seen. “If you are the defense, you want jurors to get in the weeds, into issues other than the video. Under rules of trial procedure in Minnesota, they can ask the judge if they can see video evidence again. He said allowing jurors to view video evidence in the jury room and to discuss what they see among themselves can be crucial in reaching the right verdict.
2020 indelible TV moments: Trebek, debate bluster and Floyd
Trebek made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that claimed his life on Nov. 8. Here are a selection of the defining moments of 2020 from the perspective of The Associated Press' media and television writers. ALEX TREBEKThe “Jeopardy!” host made no secret of the fight with pancreatic cancer that ultimately claimed his life on Nov. 8. Millions of viewers will see the story resolved on their own time, creating countless individual moments rather than a communal one. The actors were conciliatory toward each other about what occurred during a marital separation, but Will Smith couldn’t resist revising his wife’s description.
Protesters heartened by swift reform, but vow broader change
In the two weeks since Floyds killing, police departments have banned chokeholds, Confederate monuments have fallen and officers have been arrested and charged. (Darnella Frazier via AP, File)ATLANTA Tweet: In the two weeks since George Floyds killing, cities around the nation have begun implementing changes such as banning chokeholds. The city took down the obelisk last week after protesters tried to remove it themselves during one of the many nationwide demonstrations over Floyd's killing by police in Minneapolis. Minneapolis has since banned chokeholds, and a majority of the City Council has vowed to dismantle the citys 800-member police agency. He's also concerned about convictions against the officers charged in Floyd's death.