A judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, one of four former Minneapolis police officers involved in killing unarmed Black man, George Floyd.
Despite the dismissal, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill ruled that Chauvin’s second-degree murder and manslaughter charges will remain.
Chauvin pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes until he was motionless, was released from jail earlier this month after posting bond.
The judge also upheld the aiding and abetting counts against the three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao.
“In this court’s view, with one exception, the State has met its burden of showing probable cause that warrants proceeding to trial against each of these Defendants on each of the criminal charges the State has filed against them,” Cahill wrote. He said it will be up to a jury to decide whether the officers are guilty.