Will US justice system be tougher on police after George Floyd case?

When the police officer who killed George Floyd was found guilty of murder in April, the slain Black man's lawyer hailed the verdict as a "turning point in history," so rare is it for a cop to be found guilty in the United States. But a handful of police officers have since been indicted -- indicating the justice system may be a little less reluctant to pursue rogue officers. Although police kill an average of 1,000 people every year, only 110 officers were charged with murder between 2005 and 2015, according to a count by Bowling Green State University. Only 42 were convicted and, of those, just five were found guilty of murder. The legal framework is "very deferential" to police officers because it grants them "a great deal of discretion," said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer who became a professor of law at the University of South Carolina. Agents have the right to kill as long as their use of force is considered "reasonable" in the face of the perceived risk. In addition, any investigation is often conducted by their own colleagues and according to rules that are "very protective," added Stoughton, who testified at the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer...