Minnesota prosecutors said four former Minneapolis police officers should face long sentences if they are convicted in the May 25 killing of George Floyd, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Judge Peter Cahill asked prosecutors to explain why the officers deserve “upward departures” in their sentences based on the position of trust the officers held and Floyd’s vulnerability. Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office said both grounds could be used to justify longer sentences for the officers who detained Floyd on suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill at a convenience store.
When they arrived in uniform, the officers held a “defined relationship” of authority over Floyd, which they used to “dominate and control” him, prosecutors wrote. They handcuffed him, pinned him to the ground and ultimately killed him. Prosecutors have previously requested longer-than-recommended sentences for former officers Derek Chauvin, his partner, Tou Thao, and the arresting officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane. Cahill asked the prosecutors to explain whether the officers were in a position of authority — one reason for an enhanced sentence — even though there was no “pre-existing relationship” between them and Floyd. Prosecutors cited an appellate ruling that endorsed longer sentences when there’s a power imbalance that makes it difficult for the victim to protect himself. The courts also allow longer sentences when a victim is vulnerable due to reduced physical or mental capacity. A prosecutor argued that the officers made Floyd vulnerable when they handcuffed him and pinned him to the pavement.