Wednesday April 28, 2021
Vol. 62 Issue 7
Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murder
LORENZO A RCE News Editor
lorenzo.arce1393@my.riohondo.edu
F
ormer Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts of murdering George Floyd. Last May, Chauvin and three other officers arrested Floyd for paying with an alleged counterfeit bill at a market called Cup Foods. Body cam footage showed officers approaching Floyd’s suv gun drawn and demanding him to leave his vehicle. Floyd was in distress and scared but compliant until he panicked and didn’t want to get in the police cruiser because he was claustrophobic. After Floyd was already forced in the vehicle, Chauvin dragged him out and kneeled on his neck. Two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, also kneeled on Floyd as he cried out for his deceased mother and gasped for air. Floyd yelled out, “I can’t breathe” and “you’re killing me” as Chauvin applies more pressure and yells back, “get up, get in the car”. The fourth officer, Tou Thao, keeps the growing crowd away as he ignores their pleas to stop killing him. Among the crowd were children and an off duty EMT who was not allowed to check his pulse. Paramedics had to make Chauvin get off Floyd’s neck after he was on him for nine minutes. He went into cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital and was pronounced dead upon his arrival. According to Fox 9, separate autopsies conducted by Hennepin County Medical
Photo Illustration by Raymond Luna for El Paisano Media
Derek Chauvin’s mugshot when he was checked into MCF - Oak Park Heights. He spends 23 hours a day in a 7 - by - 10 foot cell and an hour excercise while on suicide watch. Examiner and a private examled by Attorney general Kieth against Chauvin was LT. Richard iner hired by Floyd’s family. The Ellison and included four other Zimmerman, the oldest officer private examiner declared his lawyers. Chauvin was defended of the Minneapolis Police Dedeath a homicide caused by by Eric Nelson. partment. He said kneeling on “asphyxia from sustained presOpening statements and someone’s neck while handsure.” The Hennepin County prosecution began on March cuffed is unnecessary since he examiner also declared Floyd’s 29. The defense called 38 was handcuffed already. A toxideath a homicide but cited a witnesses to testify against cologist Daniel Isenschmid, said combination of medical issues, Chauvin including underaged he had too little fentanyl and intoxication, and restraining his bystanders, fellow officers, Methamphetamine to cause an cause of death. Methamphetand medical experts. Footage overdose. amine and fentanyl we found in taken from bystanders and the The strategy of the dehis system. officer’s body cams were their fense was to create doubt in The trial of Chauvin began main evidence. The Cup Foods the cause of Floyd’s death. One on March 8 and was broademployee, Christopher Martin, witness called to Chauvin’s aid casted live throughout the said he regretted calling the was Officer Peter Chang, who world. The jurors were carefully police on Floyd for giving him testified the crowd was agselected and had their identia counterfeit $20 bill. Another gressive and made the officers ties hidden. What was known witness, a minor, said Chaunervous. Two other witnesses was six where white, four were vin stared at her with a cold were present when Floyd was black, and two were multiralook as he kneeled on Floyd. arrested in a previous incident cial. The prosecution team was One of the cops that testified in 2019. One of the witnesses,
Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act LUKE PEREZ Reporter
luke.perez2566@my.riohondo.edu
A
pril 22, 2021, local Congresswoman Linda Sánchez and another 41 congress members made Earth Day special by sponsoring The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2021. After a two year journey, the bill plans to decrease pollution, boost the economy, and improve Americans’ health. Rep. Sánchez was an early
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sponsor of the bill since October 2019. It was originally introduced to the House in January 2019 then reintroduced on April 1, 2021. Support from the Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Alliance for Market Solutions, and bipartisan support show the popularity of the act. The bill is also endorsed by local cities Brea, Pomona, Bell Gardens, and Redlands. One of the policies of the bill is to issue a carbon fee.
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Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas will start at a low fee then will increase every year. By doing so, energy companies, leading industries, and the American people will start to use cleaner and cheaper options like solar energy. Businesses will then compete to create better energy solutions. These innovations will help the goal of decreasing carbon pollution by at least 30% in five years and get towards net zero by 2050. With the new fee on carbon, the money collected will become a monthly dividend for the American people. This “carbon cash back” money will be given to Americans with no restrictions. The money can be
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used to transition to a new form of energy or meet any needs for a family. 95% of low and middle income families are projected to break even or be pushed financially ahead as well. Another way the bill helps the economy is that there will be a carbon border adjustment. To ensure the safety of U.S. manufacturers and jobs, imported goods will pay an adjustment fee and exported goods will have a refund. Ultimately, this bill will help improve the lives of many Americans. As of right now, one in 10 Americans die from poor air quality. With the bill in affect, it is projected to save 4.5 million lives over the next El Paisano Media Network
retired officer Scott Creighton, said Floyd was agitated and unresponsive to commands when he arrested him. Michelle Moseng was the paramedic who responded to the same arrest as Creighton. He said Floyd’s use of Percocet and his high blood pressure put him at risk of having a stroke. David Fowler, a retired pathologist who often defends police officers, was also a defense witness. He said, “In my opinion, Mr. Floyd had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia ... due to his atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease.” He also argued carbon monoxide emissions from the police cruiser’s exhaust pipe may have killed him. Closing arguments were made on April 29. According to the Associated Press, the prosecution insisted Chauvin murdered Floyd. On the other hand, the defense continued to create doubt by saying his health issues and drug addiction were causes of death. At one point, Nelson even suggested aliens may have caused Chauvin to kill Floyd. Chauvin chose to invoke his 5th amendment right not to speed in the trial. The Jury reached a verdict after ten hours of deliberations. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. According to ABC News, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison. The sentencing will be held in approximately eight weeks. Chauvin is being held in solitary confinement in Oak Park Heights Correctional Facility until he is sentenced.
50 years just by reducing the pollution in the air.
Photo courtesy of Linda Sanchez
Rep. Linda Sanchez has been an early co-sponsor of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividened Act since 2019. The bill will be in affect this year. El Paisano Media Network