THREE Minneapolis policemen were charged yesterday with the killing of a handcuffed black man that ignited nationwide protests, while more serious charges were filed against the officer primarily responsible.

Minnesota prosecutors announced a third-degree murder indictment on Friday against 44-year-old Derek Chauvin – the white officer filmed kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for nearly nine minutes while he pleads: “I can’t breathe”.

But they said they were increasing the charge, roughly akin to manslaughter, to second-degree murder, which does not involve premeditation but carries stiffer penalties.

“I believe the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge of second-degree murder,” Minnesota attorney-general Keith Ellison said.

“We’re here today because George Floyd is not here,” Ellison added. “He should be here. He should be alive. But he’s not.”

Chauvin’s three colleagues at the scene of Floyd’s May 25 arrest for allegedly seeking to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit bill are accused of being complicit in the killing.

Tou Thao, 34, J. Alexander Kueng, 26, and Thomas Lane, 37, were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

The arrest of all of the officers involved has been a persistent demand of protesters who have taken to the streets of dozens of US cities for the past nine days to condemn police brutality and demand racial justice.

Tens of thousands of people defied curfews in several US cities overnight to voice anger over 46-year-old Floyd’s death but the protests were largely peaceful and did not feature the looting or clashes with police of previous days.

Floyd’s family, in a statement, called the arrests a “bittersweet moment” and a “significant step forward on the road to justice”.

“These officers knew they could act with impunity, given the Minneapolis police department’s widespread and prolonged pattern and practice of violating people’s constitutional rights,” his family said.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support by Americans in cities across the country and we urge them to raise their voices for change in peaceful ways.”

While condemning Floyd’s death, President Donald Trump has adopted a tough stance towards the protesters, saying they include many “bad people” and “you have to have dominant force”.

“We need law and order,” he repeated yesterday.

Trump has also raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy active duty troops to quell unrest, an option rejected by defence secretary Mark Esper, who said the National Guard should play that role when needed. – AFP, June 4, 2020.