Judge Rules Derek Chauvin Will Face Two Charges In George Floyd’s Death, Drops One Charge

From the Minnesota Reformer:

By Rilyn Eischens

October 22, 2020

A Hennepin County district judge on Thursday ruled former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin will stand trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter for kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Judge Peter Cahill also denied motions to dismiss charges against three other ex-officers in connection with Floyd’s death.

The third-degree murder charge against Chauvin, however, was dismissed.

To charge Chauvin with third-degree murder, the state would have to prove that his actions were “eminently dangerous to other persons” and were not “specifically directed” at the person who died, Cahill wrote in his ruling.

“The evidence presented by the State does not indicate that Chauvin’s actions were eminently dangerous to anyone other than Floyd. More importantly, Chauvin’s actions were of course specifically directed at the particular person whose death occurred, George Floyd, upon whom Chauvin kneeled for more than nine minutes,” the court document says.

Ex-officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao face charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..