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Meet the cops involved in Floyd's death 4:32
(CNN) - George Floyd pleaded with police officers before his death in Minneapolis, asking them why his arrest, without resisting in any way, said a friend who was with him at the time.
Maurice Lester Hall, 42, was with Floyd in the car during the arrest that led to his death, The New York Times reported, claiming to have tracked him down to Houston, where he fled two days after witnessing the death.
In an interview with the newspaper, Hall described Floyd as a Houston native mentor and partner, saying they spent most of Memorial Day together before the fatal police encounter.
"I was, from the beginning, trying in the most humble way to demonstrate that I was not resisting in any way," Hall told the newspaper on Wednesday night. "I could hear her begging, 'Please, agent, what is this all for?'"
Crowds of protesters have taken to the streets since Floyd died on May 25 to demand the arrest of the four officers involved. Authorities initially arrested Derek Chauvin, the police officer who held Floyd to the ground by the neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before he died. On Wednesday, they elevated the murder charges against him and accused three other former officers on the scene of helping and encouraging the murder.
Hall said he will never forget what he saw that day.
MIRA : What will happen to the other police officers involved in the death of George Floyd?
"He was crying at the time, nobody could help him because he was dying," Hall told the newspaper. "I will always remember seeing the fear on Floyd's face because he is a king. That is what I have left, to see an adult man cry, before seeing an adult man die. ”
Houston
A commemoration and a court appearance
After days of protests, Thursday will be a bittersweet day as Floyd's family pays tribute to him and three of the four arrested police officers will make their first appearance in court.
Even with the new charges, most of the peaceful protesters gathered in the United States for a ninth night despite the curfew in various cities. They chanted Floyd's name, marched and called for an end to police brutality.
In Minneapolis, where Floyd spent his last moments begging for his life, a sense of calm prevailed. A man put a piano on the scene and played John Legend's “All of Me”. Another man approached the piano. Later, they performed "Imagine" by John Lennon. People cried, clapped, and sang. Others brought free food, water and diapers for the protesters, CNN's Sara Sidner reported.
The protests continued hours after the arrests
The protests against Floyd's death have touched a nerve around the world and sparked demonstrations of solidarity in Paris and cities in the Netherlands, highlighting the issue of racism in different countries.
In the United States, protests showed no signs of diminishing hours after the arrests and police charges. Most of the protests remained peaceful on Wednesday, unlike the previous nights, when violence and looting erupted.
NY
Almost 100 people were arrested when clashes erupted between police and protesters in central New York, where crowds remained early Thursday, long after the 8pm curfew. The protesters mostly knelt down and sat on the ground with their hands up.
In the nation's capital, protesters marched early in the morning and quietly clashed with National Guard soldiers. They gathered a few blocks from the White House, and the city's mayor said the curfew would not apply as long as protesters remained in peace.
And in New Orleans, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who police say defied orders not to cross the Crescent City Connection, a bridge that spans the Mississippi River.
READ : Tear gas: what to do if you are exposed?
"We were forced to launch gas ... in response to an increasing physical confrontation with our officers," the New Orleans Police Department tweeted.
Minneapolis
Final county autopsy contradicts family
Floyd will be honored at a small, intimate ceremony at North Central University in Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon. Reverend Al Sharpton will lead the commemoration.
At almost the same time, the three police officers will make an appearance in court in Minneapolis. With the coronavirus pandemic, it is unclear whether they will be in court in person or via video link.
Meanwhile, authorities released more details about Floyd's autopsy.
His death was due to cardiopulmonary arrest, or the arrest of his heart, according to final autopsy results released Wednesday by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
His neck was compressed when the agent's knee was on him for more than eight minutes, the report says, but he does not conclude that it directly caused his death.
READ : George Floyd's final autopsy report says this was the cause of death
The coroner's final report says Floyd had bruises and cuts to his head, face, mouth, shoulders, arms, and legs. But he finds no evidence that any of those injuries had directly killed him.
The autopsy says Floyd had heart disease and a history of high blood pressure. A preliminary toxicology report found moderate levels of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The county autopsy also indicates that Floyd had tested positive for coronavirus in April.
But an independent autopsy commissioned by the Floyd family disagreed with the county's conclusion, saying he died of "sustained pressure suffocation."
Washington
Minnesota attorney general confident of new charges
While officers are rarely convicted of in-service killings, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he is confident that the evidence supports the new serious charges.
"George Floyd mattered. He was loved. His family was important. His life had value, "said Ellison. "We will seek justice for him and for you, and we will find it."
Chauvin was initially charged with third degree murder and second degree involuntary manslaughter. A second-degree murder charge was added Wednesday, which carries 40 years in prison if convicted.
The other former police officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, were arrested Wednesday and face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree killings and aiding and abetting second-degree killings. If convicted, they face up to 40 years in prison.
CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
Racism