Ex-officer says role
was crowd control
The Associated Press
A former Minneapolis police officer involved in George Floyd's arrest told investigators that he was focused on crowd control and minimized his role in the actions that led to Floyd's death, video of the interview shows.
Tou Thao, one of four former officers charged in Floyd's death, described himself as a "human traffic cone" as he held back onlookers, the Star Tribune reported, citing video that was released Friday. Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, died after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck on May 25.
"I don't want anyone to die," Thao told an investigator who asked what his reaction was to Floyd's death. "It was kind of a somber moment, especially for me. My heart kind of sank."
Thao voluntarily participated in the one-hour, 40-minute interview with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension eight days after Floyd's death. He said that as the bystanders got louder, he became worried they might rush Chauvin and two other officers who were holding Floyd on the ground.
Thao and Chauvin had responded to the scene to help two officers, Thomas Lane and J. Kueng, who were attempting to arrest Floyd for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store.
While they were on the way, Thao said that dispatch canceled the backup call. But Thao, who was driving, said he felt compelled to respond because Lane and Kueng were new officers and the intersection was known to be "especially hostile" to police.
Thao said Floyd appeared to be on drugs, resisted arrested and used his legs get out of a squad car. As the officers restrained Floyd on the ground, Thao said he heard Floyd say he couldn't breathe, adding, "but then he was obviously yelling and talking."
Thao, Lane and Kueng are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Harris op-ed gets
Newsweek apology
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Newsweek has apologized for an op-ed that questioned Sen. Kamala Harris' U.S. citizenship and her eligibility to be Joe Biden's running mate, a conspiracy theory that President Donald Trump has not dismissed.
"This op-ed is being used by some as a tool to perpetuate racism and xenophobia. We apologize," read Newsweek's editor's note on Friday, which replaced the magazine's earlier detailed defense of the op-ed.
"We entirely failed to anticipate the ways in which the essay would be interpreted, distorted and weaponized," read the apology, signed by Josh Hammer, opinion editor, and Nancy Cooper, global editor-in-chief. But they ended the note by saying that the op-ed would remain on the site, with their note attached.
The op-ed was written by John Eastman, a conservative attorney who argues that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant birthright citizenship. Eastman sowed doubt about Harris' eligibility based on her parents' immigration status. Harris' mother was born in India and her father was born in Jamaica.
Newsweek earlier defended the piece, arguing that Eastman "was focusing on a long-standing, somewhat arcane legal debate" about the 14th Amendment and not trying to "ignite a racist conspiracy theory around Kamala Harris' candidacy."
But the theory is false. Harris, who was tapped by Joe Biden to be his running mate on the Democratic ticket, was born in Oakland, Calif., and is eligible for both the vice presidency and presidency under the constitutional requirements. The question is not even considered complex, according to Constitution lawyers.
Asked about the matter Thursday at the White House, Trump told reporters he had "heard" rumors that Harris does not meet the requirement to serve in the White House. The president said he considered the rumors "very serious."
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Ex-officer says role was crowd control Harris op-ed gets Newsweek apology - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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