All four police officers in the killing of George Floyd now will face charges, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Wednesday.
"Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is increasing charges against Derek Chauvin to 2nd degree in George Floyd’s murder and also charging other 3 officers. This is another important step for justice," the Democratic senator tweeted.
Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump earlier Wednesday implored officials to hold the officers accountable in powerful remarks at the site of Floyd's killing outside of a convenience store.
The incident has sparked mass protests over questions of police brutality and racial inequality and has shaken the nation. Once news of the additional charges broke, Crump called the moment "bittersweet" and said the Floyd family was "deeply gratified" for Ellison's action.
While Chauvin pinned down Floyd, the three other officers at the scene were recorded standing by and failed to intervene.
Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office and an autopsy commissioned by Floyd's family have ruled that Floyd's death was a homicide, though the reports disagreed on the cause.
The medical examiner's report released Monday listed "cardiopulmonary arrest” as the cause, while the family autopsy listed "asphyxiation from sustained pressure."
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