A judge in Minnesota dropped the third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin. However, he still faces charges of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death on May 25, according to CNN.
Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill “The language of the third-degree murder statute explicitly requires the act causing the ‘death of another’ must be eminently dangerous ‘to others,'”
Despite the dropped charge, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the judge’s decision to proceed with the most serious of the charges.
“This means that all four defendants will stand trial for murder and manslaughter, both in the second degree. This is an important, positive step forward in the path toward justice for George Floyd, his family, our community, and Minnesota. We look forward to presenting the prosecution’s case to a jury in Hennepin County,” Ellison said.
Chauvin posted a $1 million bond earlier this month and left prison to await trial, which begins March 8. He was incarcerated at a state prison in Oak Park Heights, Minn., since May 31, less than a week after Floyd’s death.
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