WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice has revived its investigation into the death of George Floyd, empanelling a new grand jury and calling new witnesses as part of its probe of former police officer Derek Chauvin, the New York Times reported on Tuesday
The Times cited two people with direct knowledge of the investigation. The death of Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis in May 2020 sparked a wave of protests across the United States and the world, and renewed debate about racism and police use of force.
Floyd’s arrest was captured on video as Chauvin, a white officer, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Grand jury proceedings are secret, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for Floyd’s family.
Chauvin has pleaded not guilty to murder in the second degree and second-degree manslaughter brought by state prosecutors. His trial is scheduled to begin in Minneapolis on March 8.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Sarah Lynch and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot)
