Wednesday, April 21 top stories
Hello, it is Wednesday, April 21. Here are today’s top stories.
This is Derek Chauvin’s new mugshot after he was taken to a prison in Stillwater, about 25 miles east of Minneapolis after he was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
The prison’s spokesperson said Chauvin was placed in a segregated housing unit for his own safety. He has been out on bail since last October and throughout the trial, but is now imprisoned.
Now he will have to wait two months until Judge Peter Cahill decides how long Chauvin must stay behind bars. Chauvin faces up to 40 years for second-degree murder and 25 years for third-degree murder.
State guidelines recommend 12 1/2 years for first-time offenders, which Chauvin is. However the judge can apply what is called “aggravating factors” — such as acting with cruelty or committing crimes in front of children — that can push up the length of the sentence.
Chauvin has a right to appeal to overturn his guilty verdicts and will likely do so, but legal experts say he has very little chance of success.
The three other officers involved in Floyd’s death, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, will be tried together in a trial in August. They are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Two of them kneeled on Floyd’s back while the third kept crowds away.
The Department of Justice announced it would start an investigation on the Minneapolis Police Department to see if it has a pattern or practice of discrimination and police misconduct.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said yesterday’s verdict does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis.
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This federal investigation would add to an already-ongoing civil rights investigation on George Floyd’s death that was opened by former Attorney General Bill Barr.
In Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, a Black 16-year-old girl named Ma’Khia Bryant was shot and killed by a police officer. Body camera videos showed that police officers were responding to a domestic fight situation. There were multiple people running out of a home and on a driveway.
Bryant had a knife and seemed like she was about to swing it at another girl when she was shot four times.
There was grief, criticism and protests against police officers for using deadly force. Activists said officers could have used other options to de-escalate and questioned if this is the kind of policing that the community needs and deserves.
The Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the officer took action to protect another girl. The case is under investigation.
CBS News reported that 22 coronavirus patients on ventilators at an Indian hospital passed away because there was a leak in the oxygen supply. A news picture showed people standing outside as white smoke is seen swirling from a large tank. The leak was fixed after about 30 minutes, but unfortunately it was not fast enough for 22 patients. There is an investigation.
India is going through a second wave of Covid-19 infections with over 200,000 new cases per day for the past seven days.
That is all the top stories for today. Check out our other videos. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/20/us/derek-chauvin-whats-next/index.html
https://www.axios.com/justice-department-minneapolis-policing-24e2d694-739f-400d-87a8-54a8b6975308.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/20/chauvin-appeal-conviction-murder-483921
https://fox8.com/news/protests-erupt-in-columbus-after-officer-shoots-and-kills-teenage-girl-armed-with-a-knife/
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/columbus-ohio-leaders-react-to-shooting-death-of-makhia-bryant
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-covid-patients-die-hospital-oxygen-leak/