Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has appeared in court for the first time, charged with second-degree murder over the death of George Floyd.
Mr Floyd's death has sparked widespread protests around the US and the world as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, against police brutality.
Chauvin was filmed kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while arresting him, despite Mr Floyd's protests that he couldn't breathe, two weeks ago.
Mr Floyd died in police custody and Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Three other police officers at the scene have also been charged with aiding and abetting murder or manslaughter.
All four were fired from the Minneapolis police force on the day after Mr Floyd's death.
Chauvin appeared in court today via a video feed from jail, US media reports, where a judge set bail of $US1 million ($NZ1.5 million) for Chauvin.
If convicted, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison.
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