Judge Jeanine: Minneapolis officer does not deserve to be free
Judge Jeanine Pirro breaks down the facts in the George Floyd case on 'Fox & Friends.'
Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro said on Friday that there are “clear facts” showing that the police officer who killed George Floyd needs to be arrested and charged with murder under Minnesota law.
“What you have is a police officer with a record of [a] series of complaints over the 19 years that he’s been a police officer who ended up snuffing the life out of an African-American over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill that he was using to buy food for his family,” the host of "Justice with Jeanine" told “Fox & Friends.”
“The fact that the [federal government] is looking at whether or not there is a civil rights violation, that is fine. But, this man can be charged with murder,” Pirro said.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demanded Thursday that Attorney General William Barr open an investigation into whether there is a "pattern" of "unconstitutional" conduct by the Minneapolis Police Department in the wake of the death of Floyd, a black man who died after being pinned to the ground by his neck while he was handcuffed by a white officer earlier this week.
The officer who choked Floyd as he begged for air, Derek Chauvin, and three other Minneapolis officers involved were fired. The incident sparked nationwide condemnation from people of all political stripes, violent protests and looting in Minneapolis, led the University of Minnesota to sever its relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department and induced Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., the area's local congresswoman, to call for murder charges for Chauvin.
Floyd's death also prompted the House Judiciary Committee's Democrats to send a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking it to investigate the actions of local authorities involved in the Floyd case, as well as two other recent killings of African-Americans.
Hours before riots and looting grew out of control for a second straight night, Hennepin County prosecutor Mike Freeman said authorities were still investigating Floyd's death.
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Pirro called out the other police officers who were standing by while Floyd was begging for help while being asphyxiated under custody. Witnesses to the arrest recorded with their phones, pleading for Chauvin to let Floyd up from the ground.
“I want to know what were those police officers doing as George Floyd was begging, saying he couldn’t breathe, saying ‘please please,’ begging them and then crying for his mama?" Pirro asked. "I mean, break your heart. This man who put his knee on the neck of George Floyd does not deserve to be free in this country.”
Hours after the interview aired, Chauvin was arrested.
Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
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