Thursday, 25 April

George Floyd murder suspect Derek Chauvin has bail set at $1.25m

World News
George Floyd

The Minneapolis ex-policeman accused of killing unarmed black man George Floyd has made his first court appearance, where his bail was set at $1.25m (£1m).

Prosecutors cited the "severity of the charges" and public outrage as the reason for upping his bail from $1m.

Derek Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other arresting officers are charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Mr Floyd's death in May led to global protests and calls for police reform.

Mr Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Mr Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes while he was being arrested in Minneapolis on 25 May.

He and the three other police officers have since been fired.

Meanwhile, mourners in Houston, Texas, where Mr Floyd lived before moving to Minneapolis, have been viewing his body, publicly on display for six hours at The Fountain of Praise church.

 

On Tuesday, a private funeral service will be held in Houston. Memorial services have already been held in Minneapolis and North Carolina, where Mr Floyd was born.

It is believed a family member escorted Mr Floyd's body on a flight to Texas late on Saturday.

Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden met privately with Mr Floyd's relatives in Houston to offer his sympathies on Monday.

"He listened, heard their pain, and shared in their woe," said Floyd family spokesman Benjamin Crump, who tweeted a photo of the meeting. "That compassion meant the world to this grieving family."

Aides to the former vice-president said he would also record a video message for Tuesday's service.

 

Source: BBC