Target: Mike Freeman, District Attorney, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Goal: Support arrest and charging of officers whose actions led to the needless death of George Floyd.
Officer Derek Chauvin, formerly of the Minneapolis Police Department, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter for his role in the death of George Floyd, in a significant victory for his family and those who signed this petition. Floyd, a 46-year old security guard, rapper, athlete, and father of a young daughter, was arrested on May 25 when a clerk at a Minneapolis grocery store called police concerned that Floyd had tried to buy food with a counterfeit $20 bill. When Officer Chauvin and his colleagues Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng arrived on the scene, they quickly handcuffed Floyd and placed him on the ground, where Chauvin knelt on the back of his neck despite Floyd’s nonviolent behavior. As nearby witnesses looked on, Floyd pleaded for air, but Chauvin and the other officers ignored him. Minutes later, he was dead when paramedics arrived.
Lane, Thao, and Kueng have been charged with aiding and abetting the apparent murder. While more needs to be done to ensure police officers are held accountable in the future, the arrest of Floyd’s killers is a significant step in the right direction. Sign the petition below to thank the Hennepin County District Attorney for filing charges.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Freeman,
The announcement of the arrest and charging of Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng for George Floyd’s death is welcome news for his family and supporters. Allowing Mr. Floyd’s death to have gone without justice would have been a tragic insult to millions across the world outraged at his horrifying treatment.
We thank you and your colleagues for your charging these men, and urge that similar action be taken to hold the other officers who were on the scene of Floyd’s death accountable.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Lorie Shaull
183 Signatures