Jury indicts former police officers in George Floyd killing

By: SADIE GURMAN and JOE BARRETT

A federal grand jury has indicted Derek Chauvin and three other former Minneapolis police officers on charges of violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights during the May 2020 encounter that killed him.

The new indictment unsealed Friday brings the federal government into a case that sparked nationwide protests and bipartisan calls for changes to policing in the U.S.

The Biden Justice Department has placed a priority on prosecuting officers for misconduct and overhauling troubled local police departments as part of a renewed emphasis on civil-rights enforcement. The department is separately investigating whether Minneapolis police engage in patterns of discrimination, excessive force and other unconstitutional conduct, a civil probe that could end in a court settlement forcing changes.

The timing of the federal charges—after Mr. Chauvin’s conviction but before his sentencing, and while the others are still awaiting trial—is unusual, said Jared Fishman, JIL executive director and a former federal prosecutor who worked on police misconduct cases. “You would often see it after a state failed to convict or a state said we’re not going ahead with this prosecution,” Mr. Fishman said.

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