George Floyd killing: three more officers charged as Chauvin's murder charge upgraded – live

Eric Holder, Obama’s first attorney general, speaks first, remembering the case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 and discussing how to keep people safe while reforming police and policing and the criminal justice system. Involve the community, engage the police and bring them together, he says, which he says the Obama administration did in forming its 21st-century policing task force and producing its recommendations.

“It laid the foundation for future work,” Holder says.

No one has mentioned the Trump administration yet.

There will now be a discussion, involving Obama, led by the activist Britney Packnett Cunningham. I’ll listen in.

Obama appeals to the young to get involved in the push for change, pointing to civil rights leaders, feminist leaders, and leaders of the union and environmental movements too, King among them, who began to work for their cause when young. He is optimistic, he says, that “this country’s going to get better”.

The young of America have witnessed too much violence and death, he says, and “too often that violence has come from folks supposed to be serving and protecting you”.

Obama also acknowledges “the folks in law enforcement that share the goals of reimagining policing”, who he says he knows are just as outraged as many of the protesters out on the streets across the country. He is heartened, he says, by seeing police and other officers who have engaged with the protests over George Floyd’s death.

Obama discusses his task force on 21st-century policing, which was formed after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014.

Its report, he says, “showcased a range of proven strategies and aims” meant to be used for reforms. Most of the reforms needed should take place locally, Obama says. It is mayors and county executives that determine police practices, he says, and district and state attorneys decide whether to prosecute cases of police misconduct.

Obama says he has been hearing “a little bit of chatter” on the internet about “voting vs protest”, and that perhaps civil obedience is a better course of action to achieve change. Unsurprisingly, Obama doesn’t agree.

“This is not an either-or,” he says, having noted the local positions above are by and large voted for.

He says he is urging every mayor in the US to review use-of-force policies with their communities and commit to reforms they can make.

He also thinks every city in the US should “be a My Brother’s Keeper community”, aiming to expand opportunity for young men of colour, because the programme can make a difference.

Obama closes these remarks by saying people are reminded of the 60s by the current unrest and discord. There is something different here, he says. Nowadays there is a far more representative cross-section of America, he says, out on the streets protesting, and a majority of Americans think the protests over George Floyd’s death are justified. The country must use this momentum for change, he says.

Hallie Golden reports for the Guardian from Seattle:

Washington State Patrol has apologized after an officer was recorded on video during protests in Seattle Tuesday night telling his team members: “Don’t kill them, but hit them hard”.

On Wednesday morning, WSP spokesman Chris Loftis apologized for the “poor choice of words,” saying they “recognize the hurt and confusion it has caused.”

The instructions by the team leader were given in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in preparation for a push maneuver, which involves pushing protesters who are acting aggressive or not complying with orders away from a certain area. The officer who gave the instructions has not been identified.

The viral video of the officer, which was posted on Twitter, has received a mix of responses, with some saying his instructions were needed, while many others called it “disgusting” or “unacceptable.”

Loftis said in a statement sent to the Guardian that the troopers have been working in difficult and dangerous situations, and “they are doing so with courage, commitment and compassion, but not always with perfection.”

The video was captured on the fifth consecutive night of George Floyd protests in Seattle, which have remained primarily peaceful. On Tuesday evening, protesters in Capitol Hill had been on the streets at least two hours past the city’s 9 p.m. curfew, when water bottles were reportedly thrown at law enforcement.

The police fired pepper spray and used flash bangs on the crowd.

The state patrol has deployed about 200 troopers each day since Friday to Seattle and other cities across Washington to help with crowd control.

Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison has just concluded his press conference announcing additional charges in connection to the killing of George Floyd.

Ellison acknowledged there was a level of public distrust around prosecutors carrying out police brutality cases because “our country has underprosecuted these matters.”

“We can’t control the past,” Ellison said. “All we can do is take the case that we have in front of us right now and do our good faith best to bring justice to this situation, and we will.”

Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison said that, in order to charge Derek Chauvin with first-degree murder, prosecutors would need to find evidence of “premeditation and deliberation” in the killing of George Floyd.

Many critics have called on Chauvin to be charged with first-degree murder, but Ellison only elevated the charge to second-degree murder today.

Asked whether he expected the cases against the officers to go to trial or if they would take plea deals, Ellison said it was too early to make a prediction.

Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison asked for “continued patience” from the public as officials continue to investigate the killing of George Floyd.

Ellison warned that his office would likely not be able to say very much publicly about the investigation in the days to come.

Ellison said the road ahead would be difficult, but he expressed confidence in Hennepin county attorney Mike Freeman, noting Freeman has previously successfully prosecuted a murder case against a police officer.

“We’re confident in what we’re doing,” Ellison said. “But history does show that there are challenges here.”

Ellison emphasized that “George Floyd mattered” and recongized that these additional charges cannot solely rectify “the hurt and loss that so many people feel.”