George Floyd protests - live: Attorney says three officers will be charged over killing, as bishops from church express outrage over Trump photo op

Kellyanne Conway says it was attorney general who ordered DC area be cleared of protesters

A top aide to Donald Trump says the president did not order federal law enforcement and military personnel to use rubber bullets and tear gas to clear a path for his Monday evening walk to a downtown Washington church damaged during weekend rioting.

"Clearly, the president doesn't know how law enforcement is handling his movements, his travel, one way or the other," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Tuesday.

She pinned responsibility at first on the shoulders of Attorney General William Barr.

Full details here: 

I reported on the Pentagon for over a decade – but what happened in DC this week shocked me

John T Bennett with his take: 

George W Bush says he is 'disturbed by injustice and fear that suffocates' American following Floyd's death

The former president released a statement in collaboration with former First Lady Laura Bush about the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests. 

"Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocates our country," George W Bush wrote. "Yet we resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic features – as we do, we will see some of our redeeming strengths." 

Full statement here: 

Medical examiner group defends official autopsy report of George Floyd's death

George Floyd's family got an independent autopsy after the Hennepin County, Minnesota, medical examiner’s report included information that people thought was suspect. 

But the National Association of Medical Examiners defended the report on Tuesday.

"Though the public may have concerns about the inclusion of underlying natural diseases, and drug intoxication as 'contributing to death' on Mr. Floyd's death certificate, this is usual practice for Medical Examiners," the group wrote in a statement. "Death is a complex process and often occurs with multiple interacting contributing causes including physiologic stress brought about by physical altercations. Therefore, listing all provides a more comprehensive statement of the cause of death."

The official autopsy report stated underlying heart conditions and intoxicants potentially contributed to Mr Floyd's neck despite video footage showing an officer's knee pressed down on his neck for nearly nine minutes. 

The group claimed medical examiners “unlike private pathologists, do not have an incentive to come up with a certain view". 

Mr Floyd's family privately hired forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, a pathologist at the University of Michigan’s medical school, to perform a separate autopsy.

The autopsy starkly differed the official one from the county as it ruled Mr Floyd died from asphyxia and he likely died at the scene. 

Trump fires back at Biden over speech criticising DC church and protest response

 Donald Trump fired back at Joe Biden after the former vice president sharply criticised his use of a Washington, DC, church as part of his announcement that he was deploying US military assets to combat protesters in the capital city.

"Sleepy Joe has been in politics for 40 years, and did nothing. Now he pretends to have the answers. He doesn't even know the questions," the president tweeted about six hours after Mr Biden gave one of the first major speeches of the 2020 general election.

That came in response to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee saying in a speech Tuesday morning in Philadelphia that the president needs to care "for all of us, not just those who voted for [him]."

John T Bennett reports:

Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearing about police use of force on 16 June

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina announced the Senate Judiciary Committee would be holding a hearing about police use of force following the death of George Floyd. 

The hearing would be held on 16 June.

The Committee intends to call a variety of witnesses to discuss "better policing" and "racial discrimination regarding use of force". 

"We intend to shine a bright light on the problems associated with Mr Floyd's death, with a goal to find a better way forward for our nation," Mr Graham said in a statement. 

Former correctional officer charged with driving into Indiana protest

A former correctional officer who drove into a Black Lives Matter protest faces a felony criminal recklessness charge, prosecutors said Tuesday. Christa Redman, 32, of Kokomo, also faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and leaving the scene of an accident, the Howard County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Jail records indicate that Redman surrendered to police and bonded out of the Howard County Jail, the Kokomo Tribune reported.

Redman resigned from her position with the jail Sunday, Sheriff Jerry Asher said. That came a day after she allegedly drove her truck into a group near a Kokomo park protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Witnesses said Redman passed stopped vehicles in front of her, entered an intersection and struck protesters before fleeing. An affidavit said Redman honked the horn at protesters before striking them. Officers later located her at her residence a few blocks away, police said.

Redman told police that the protesters were "yelling and screaming at her and her children in the truck," the affidavit said.|

Deza'Rae Bender, 24, of Kokomo sustained an injury to her arm and hand, police said. A 17-year-old female also told police that she also was also struck by Redman's truck.

A message seeking comment was left for Redman's attorney.

Associated Press

 Protests, curfews and the National Guard -- Three key maps show scale of response

The Independent's Alex Woodward has dived into the data to see how the death of George Floyd has led to protests and riots across the country and the subsequent response from cities placing curfews and states calling in the National Guard.

See the full breakdown:

Mother of George Floyd’s daughter calls for justice

Roxie Washington, the mother of Mr Floyd's daughter Gianna, spoke during a march in Houston.

“Gianna does not have a father. He will never see her grow up, graduate. He will never walk her down the aisle. If there is a problem she's having where she needs her dad, she does not have that anymore," she said.

"I am here for my baby and I'm here for George because I want justice for him. I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good. And this is the proof that he was a good man."

Resurfaced Trump interview about Tiananmen Square massacre shows what he thinks of protests

Donald Trump gave a glimpse into his mindset towards mass protests when he said in 1990 that China showed "power of strength" in a "vicious" crackdown on students in Tiananmen Square.

"Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength," Mr Trump said.

"That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak... as being spit on by the rest of the world."

Read the full story.