The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviving its investigation into the death of George Floyd, according to sources tell The New York Times says the department is calling for new witnesses.
The federal investigation into Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, was held up during the Trump administration with the then attorney general. William Barr
Bill BarrFamily victims of gunfire at Pensacola naval station suing Saudi Arabia Garland seeks to draw a stark contrast to Trump-era DOJ Trump after Supreme Court ruling on his financial records MORE saying that the DOJ would allow “the state moves forward with its procedures first.
Two sources told The New York Times that a new grand jury has been convened and new witnesses are being summoned.
Chauvin’s state trial on charges of second-degree murder and wrongful death is due to begin on March 8, almost a year after Floyd’s death, which sparked protests across the country.
If he is acquitted in a state court, the focus is likely to shift to federal lawsuits, which examine possible civil rights violations.
A source told The New York Times that the case appears to be focusing on Chauvin and not the three other officers who were at the scene and face charges of complicity.
Chauvin is on bail and lives in a different state due to security concerns. Minneapolis will have the National Guard deployed during the trial to prevent the violence that occurred in the city last summer after Floyd’s death.