Derek Chauvin had been charged with second and third degree murder, manslaughter
A judge dismissed a lesser murder charge against former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin, but said he still had to face the most serious murder charge in the death of George Floyd in May, according to a ruling of justice delivered Thursday.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said prosecutors had no probable reason to charge Chauvin with third degree murder, but the evidence supported laying a charge of second degree murder, which could lead to decades in prison, to justice.
Cahill described in detail how Chauvin used his knee to press Floyd’s neck and face “into the ruthless concrete of Chicago Avenue” in Minneapolis, even after Floyd pleaded he couldn’t breathe and then became numb. .
Cahill also confirmed a manslaughter charge against Chauvin and the six charges against three other officers – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – for allegedly aiding and abetting Chauvin in the murder. Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd by restraining his back and legs, Cahill noted, while Thao kept a group of spectators at bay.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison described the decision as a victory for his office.
“The court’s decision to dismiss just one of the minor charges against just one of the defendants – while leaving intact all charges against the other three defendants – is based on how the appellate courts have interpreted the law in question.” Ellison said in a statement. .
“We are considering our options in light of the court’s strong order on the remaining charges.”
Chauvin, who is white, had been charged with second and third degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd, a black man. Videos of the incident sparked protests across the country against police brutality and racism.
In his ruling, Cahill said a third degree murder charge was appropriate in cases where an accused’s actions were “eminently dangerous to other people” and were not specifically targeted at the deceased.
“The evidence presented by the state does not indicate that Chauvin’s actions were eminently dangerous to anyone other than Floyd,” Cahill wrote in his ruling.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, declined to comment.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
