MINNEAPOLIS — The ex-officer convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020 is challenging his federal conviction and is asking the court to let his defense team test a new theory about how Floyd could have died. 

Floyd, 46, died in May 2020 after ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with a knee on Floyd’s neck as the Black man repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. The killing, captured on bystander video, sparked protests in 2020 as part of a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice. 

Chauvin is making a longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death. According to a motion, Chauvin is arguing his attorney Eric Nelson gave ineffective counsel. 

According to the judge’s order, Nelson was reached out to by a doctor who said it was his opinion Floyd died “due to a catecholamine crisis.” Nelson did not consult with Chauvin on this issue and the opinion was not tested, the order says. 

Now, Chauvin is asking the court to have tests performed that could support the doctor’s opinion. The tests will require access to Floyd’s preserved heart tissue slides and photographs, along with other fluids. A judge has authorized these tests be done. 

If Chauvin is unsuccessful at overturning his federal conviction, he won’t be released until 2038. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Members of a Minneapolis synagogue arrived Monday to discover their building had been targeted by an act of antisemitic vandalism.

Two swastikas were spray-painted at the entrance to Temple Israel.

“It is heartbreaking to see such a hateful image directly underneath the words emblazoned above our doors, words that have guided us for generations: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples,'” Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman said in a letter to Temple Israel members. “Temple has always been a sacred space, a welcoming place to all who enter with a spirit of community and peace.”

Zimmerman said Minneapolis police are reviewing the Temple’s security camera footage, and the Temple’s own security team remains on alert.

“I am proud of our Temple community, and of standing up for our Jewish values even in difficult times,” Rabbi Zimmerman added.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who attends Temple Israel, said he supports MPD in its efforts to find those “responsible for this hateful act.”

“These Nazi symbols were placed on my synagogue, where Minneapolis Jews congregate and deserve to feel safe,” Frey said in a statement posted to social media. “We don’t back down to fear, we stand strong, proud of who we are, and I know that Minneapolis – a city of inclusivity and love – stands with us.”

Temple Israel is home to one of the ten largest Jewish congregations in the country.

MADISON, Wis. — Police in Madison, Wisconsin are in the early stages of investigating a deadly mass shooting that took place at a private school late Monday morning. 

Here’s what we know so far. 

Madison Police Chief Dr. Shon Barnes said 911 calls began coming in around 10:57 a.m. reporting an active shooter at Abundant Life Christian School. Officers from Madison and across Dane County arrived at the school, 4901 Buckeye Road, on the city’s east side, just blocks from Lake Monona. 

Abundant Life Christian School is described as non-denominational. The enrollment at the school is just under 400. 

During an early press conference with reporters, Chief Barnes said three people are dead including the suspected shooter. At least five others were transported to area hospitals, with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. Barnes would not confirm how many of the victims are children or staff members, saying authorities are still sorting that out. 

At one point in the press conference, police said five people were dead, but they subsequently backed off on that number. 

“Today is a sad, sad day, not only for Madison but for our entire country,” Barnes said. “Every child in that building is a victim, and will be a victim forever.”

Barnes said officers responding to the incident found the suspected shooter, who he described as a juvenile student at the school, dead of what they believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. At this point a motive for the deadly attack is unclear. 

Reporters on the scene said both state and federal law enforcement are on scene to help with the investigation, including personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. 

Police Chief Dr. Shon Barnes said another press briefing is currently scheduled for 2:30 p.m. KARE 11 will plan on carrying it live on our YouTube channel, with links on our other social channels.