Jury selection begins in federal trial over Floyd’s killing

Jury selection has begun in the federal trial for three former Minneapolis police officers who were with Derek Chauvin when he pinned George Floyd to the street.

J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are charged with depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under government authority.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson is questioning potential jurors who have already answered an extensive questionnaire.

He’s dismissed several people who said they couldn’t be impartial.

Legal experts say the federal case will be more complicated than a pending state case against the officers because prosecutors will have the difficult task of proving the men willfully did not take action.

The three men have also been charged separately in state court with aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter as fellow Officer Derek Chauvin pinned his knee against Floyd’s neck during a May 2020 arrest, the Associated Press reported.

Chauvin was convicted last April in connection with the death of Floyd, a Black man. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison. In December, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s rights.