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The white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck was arrested and charged with murder Friday, and authorities imposed an overnight curfew to try to stem three nights of often-violent protests that left dozens of stores burned and looted.
Derek Chauvin, 44, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the case. He was also accused of ignoring another officer at the scene who expressed concerns about the black man as he lay handcuffed on the ground, pleading that he could not breathe. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a small grocery store.
An attorney for Floyd’s family welcomed the arrest, but said he expected a more serious murder charge and wants all four officers involved to be arrested.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said more charges were possible. He said the investigation into the other three officers continues, but authorities “felt it appropriate to focus on the most dangerous perpetrator.”
Meanwhile, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declared a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The order said no one can be out in public except emergency responders and people seeking medical care, fleeing danger or those who are homeless.
President Donald Trump intensified his confrontation with China, vowing to punish the country for the coronavirus pandemic and steps to curb Hong Kong’s autonomy by ending the territory’s special trade status with the U.S. and denying visas to Chinese officials.
Citing a litany of grievances against the country, some dating to before he was elected president, Trump said the U.S. would begin a process to revoke Hong Kong’s preferential trade status under U.S. law. American financial regulators would examine Chinese firms listed on U.S. stock markets with an eye toward limiting American investment in the companies, he said, and Chinese nationals considered to be security threats would be denied entry to the country.
The U.S. will terminate its support for the World Health Organization, Trump said, claiming the agency had been manipulated by Beijing during the pandemic and was under the “total control” of China.
“Our actions will be strong, our actions will be meaningful,” the president said in a statement from the White House Rose Garden. He took no questions.
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