Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck as he said he couldn't breathe before dying, has been charged with murder.
Floyd's death, captured on video as he struggled for air and begged officers to stop so he could breath, has sparked days of unrest across the country as thousands of people have gone to the streets in protest of police killings of unarmed black men.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that while the investigation is ongoing, "we felt it appropriate to focus on the most dangerous perpetrator."
A criminal complaint was expected to be released later in the day, but Freeman said Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
He added there may be additional charges.
The three other officers remain under investigation, although Freeman said he anticipates they too will face charges.
Despite criticism that Chauvin remained free after Floyd died Monday, Freeman said the arrest and charges announced Friday were done "as quickly as evidence has been presented to us."
Along with the US Attorney's Office and FBI, Freeman was expected to make an announcement Thursday afternoon that was repeatedly delayed.
Freeman said officials were still waiting on a "final piece," though he would not go into detail as to what piece of evidence that was.
After video of the arrest went viral, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for Chauvin's arrest.
"Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail?" Frey asked during a news conference earlier this week.
The investigation into Chauvin's use of force to restrain Floyd as he can be heard gasping for air has drawn outrage, including by police chiefs across the country who have condemned the officer's tactic of pinning his knee into Floyd's neck.
Experts told BuzzFeed News crushing someone's neck is risky and that it should be banned by police departments.
The violent arrest has drawn independent investigations by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Hennepin County Attorney, and the FBI.
Harrington said he had no other information regarding the three other officers involved in the arrest, who were fired along with Chauvin.
Chauvin is in custody of Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
A veteran of the department for 19 years, Chauvin began his career at the Minneapolis Police Academy in 2001.
He has been involved in three officer-involved shootings in his career, including one that turned deadly.
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