MINNEAPOLIS – A judge realigned charges against former police officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck in May. Judge Peter Cahill found insufficient to support s third-degree murder charge but OK’d trial for one count of unintentional second-degree murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter. Cahill said that prosecutors do not need to show Chauvin’s actions were the sole cause of Floyd’s death. At the same time, he said that Chauvin’s decision to continue kneeling on Floyd’s neck after he went silent and motionless “is strong evidence of Chauvin’s intent to inflict bodily harm.” But to prove a third-degree murder charge, prosecutors must show that Chauvin’s intentional conduct was “eminently dangerous to others” and not specifically directed at Floyd, Cahill said.
The other cops
Judge Cahill also found probable cause to move forward with the aiding and abetting counts against three other former officers in Floyd’s death: Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao. There will be jury trials, the judge ordered.