WASHINGTON -- U.S. Attorney General William Barr says he’s “confident justice will be served” after the restraint death of a black man in Minneapolis police custody.
Barr said in a statement Friday that the videos of George Floyd’s death were “harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing.”
The Justice Department and FBI are conducting an investigation to determine whether federal civil rights laws were broken.
Barr’s comments come as the white police officer who was seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck was arrested. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Barr says a decision whether to pursue federal charges “must be, and will be, based on the law and facts” and that the process is “proceeding quickly.”
He said federal officials were working with local law enforcement to ensure relevant evidence is collected as quickly as possible.