Former US Defense Secretary reveals Trump wanted to shoot protesters

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has revealed that former President Donald Trump wanted to shoot protesters around the White House following protests over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer.

In his memoir scheduled for May 10 under the heading "Holy Section," Esper wrote that Trump said: "Can't they just be shot?"

"That moment was the first week of June 2020, I was sitting in front of an office inside the Oval Office, and the President was red-faced and complaining loudly about the ongoing protests in Washington, D.C.," Esper said.

He added: "The good news is that the decision was not difficult.. The bad news is that I had to figure out a way to change Trump's mind and make the mess that I was trying to avoid. "

Esper outraged Trump when he publicly stated in June 2020 that he opposed invoking the Intifada Act, a 1807 law that allows the president to use active duty troops on U.S. soil, in order to quell protests.

The United States... Former cop convicted of killing George Floyd asks court to quash his conviction

Lawyers for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin filed a court appeal to overturn his conviction for the murder of George Floyd, saying the proceedings were riddled with "misconduct and prejudice to a structurally flawed degree."

• The 82-page text of the appeal presents several aspects of the proceedings.

• including out-of-courtroom protests.

•  widespread pretrial publicity and the Minneapolis administration's announcement that it would pay a $27 million settlement to Floyd's family.

•  as the case accuses prosecutors of misconduct.

His lawyers considered that "this coverage glorifies Floyd and demonizes Chauvin", and asked the Court of Appeal to either quash his conviction or grant him a new trial in a different location or return the case to a lower court for retrial.

1. They added: "In order to convict a police officer of murder
2.  Minnesota laws require an officer to use lethal force.
3.  force that one knows will result in either death or great bodily harm. Placing your knees on the back of the suspect does not create a real risk of death or grievous bodily harm 
4. referring to the placement of police officer Chauvin on the back and neck of the victim Floyd, causing him to suffocate.

In April 2021, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, manslaughter and third-degree murder and sentenced to 22 and a half years' imprisonment for the murder of African-descendant George Floyd.