Former Republican congressman Trey Gowdy said Sunday that “it took too long” to charge a Minneapolis police officer with killing George Floyd and that he should be charged with first-degree murder.
“It took too long,” said Gowdy to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures,” about the officer being charged.
Gowdy: This is murder.. So I’m happy that the feds are investigating civil rights violations but you can take all the time you want for that, there’s really no reason this officer has not already been charged with Murder 1, 2, or 3 pic.twitter.com/1LMGeUIbGX
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 28, 2020
Gowdy: ‘If you have a man with your knee on his neck and he is telling you, ‘you’re killing me, I cannot breathe…’
Gowdy, who is a Fox News contributor, broke down his reasoning.
“You know, murder one in Minnesota is premeditation with an intent to kill murder two is an intent to kill without the premeditation. Murder three is the doing of an inherently dangerous thing that results in someone’s death,” Gowdy said. “So my question for the prosecutors and cops in Minnesota, Maria, is if you have a man with your knee on his neck and he is telling you, ‘you’re killing me, I cannot breathe. You’re killing me.’ How long’s it take for premeditation to manifest itself?”
“Nobody thinks these cops went to the scene with the intent to kill him,” he continued. “But at some point when you’re being warned that your conduct is taking someone’s life, Isn’t that premeditation?”
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I agree with this article. I’m not a lawyer either, but I would hate to see him go free on a murder charge. I think the North Pole would up in a blaze. https://t.co/pS6Z0CXpT3
— Blue Collar American (@pilotdad66) June 1, 2020
Gowdy: ‘I think you need to do what fits the facts. And to me, I think is a murder one charge’
“Isn’t that consciousness of guilt that you need to prove an intent to kill?” Gowdy said. “So murder three is the easiest charge. But I was never a prosecutor that liked to go for the easiest thing. I think you need to do what fits the facts. And to me, I think is a murder one charge.”
The officer in question, Derek Chauvin, sparked nationwide protests this week after he was clearly seen on video taken by a smartphone kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes during the suspect’s arrest for allegedly passing a counterfeit bill.
Floyd died in custody and Chauvin was fired Tuesday. Chauvin was then arrested Friday on charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Three other officers present at the scene were also fired and are under investigation.
Gowdy to Mayor: Why Are You Hiring, Retaining Cops with Resumes Like Chauvin? https://t.co/Mi9DNeXgu7
— CNSNews (@cnsnews) May 29, 2020
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Fox News host Bartiromo then asked Gowdy if Chauvin would face federal charges.
“They’re going to charge violation of civil rights, which is serious,” Gowdy said. “And if it results in death, you can get a significant sentence. But our criminal justice system is both substantive and it is symbolic. If you take someone’s life intentionally with premeditation, even without premeditation, that’s murder.”
“So to call it a violation of someone’s civil rights.,” Gowdy added. “Sure. Go ahead and charge him.”
“But Minnesota owes it to this victim and his family to also get the Minnesota state law justice,” Gowdy said. “So great the feds are involved. But symbolically, call this what it is. It is the intentional taking, the unlawful taking of someone’s life and that is murder.”