Three other former officers involved in George Floyd's death will be charged, family lawyer says

The attorney representing George Floyd's family said during an interview on NBC's "Today" that authorities have told him the three other former officers involved in Floyd's death will also be charged.

Derek Chauvin, the former officer seen in viral videos with his knee on Floyd's neck, was charged last week with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Videos show two other officers — one "held Mr. Floyd's back" and the other "held his legs" — during the incident, and the fourth officer standing nearby watching.

"They will be charged. That is what the family is hearing from authorities," civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said.

Chauvin and the two other officers were on Floyd's neck and back for more than eight minutes, even after he fell unconscious. He had no pulse and was unresponsive when first responders arrived, and his condition never improved even as medical workers tried to revive him for more than an hour on the way to the hospital and at the emergency room.

The death was ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County medical examiner and by an independent autopsy done at the family's request, although the two reports listed different causes of death.

The county's report said he died of "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression," and pointed out that he had "arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease," fentanyl intoxication, and recent methamphetamine use.

The independent report listed the cause of death as asphyxia, saying his brain and other organs stopped functioning because his oxygen was cut off due to the pressure on his neck and back.

All four officers have been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. The University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Public School district cut ties with the department as a result of the incident. The state Human Rights Department has launched an investigation into the MPD to examine its practices and policies for potential patterns of discrimination.