Former officer Derek Chauvin, the cop who kneeled on the neck of unarmed Black man George Floyd for almost nine minutes until he stopped breathing — is asking for a judge to dismiss the charges.
Chauvin’s attorney argues that there is no probable cause to support charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter — despite actual footage of the killing going viral.
However, prosecutors argue that Floyd’s killing was so brutal that they want severer sentences than recommended by state guidelines if Chauvin and the three other officers involved in Floyd’s killing are found guilty.
“Mr. Floyd was treated with particular cruelty,” prosecutors wrote. “Despite Mr. Floyd’s pleas that he could not breathe and was going to die, as well as the pleas of eyewitnesses to get off Mr. Floyd and help him, Defendant and his codefendants continued to restrain Mr. Floyd.”
Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests and boycotts.