The four former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating the civil rights of George Floyd pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports . The federal hearing, which included arguments on several pre-trial petitions, took place with all of the men together despite some requests that the men be tried in separate hearings. Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 25, 2020, for their involvement in the police killing of George Floyd. In a bystander's video that's now been seen worldwide, the four men in question can be seen holding Floyd face down while he was handcuffed and not resisting. The moment ignited protests around the country and the world as many called for changes to policing and states' police budgets. The four men appeared for the hearing virtually. Chauvin, who is currently serving a 22 1/2-year sentence for Floyd's killing, called in from the state's maximum-security prison. The other three...
