George Floyd case: Third-degree murder charge against former officer Derek Chauvin dropped, other charges remain

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MINNEAPOLIS — According to court documents, a third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr. has been dropped, but the higher second-degree murder charge remains, in addition to a second-degree manslaughter charge.

Floyd was killed on May 25 while being arrested for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Chauvin, the arresting officer, was captured on video as he pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed face down in the street. Meanwhile, two other officers further restrained Floyd and a third stopped onlookers from stepping in.

The other three former officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and have requested that charges against them be dismissed.

On Thursday, Judge Peter Cahill ruled against their request. 

Cahill has yet to rule on details related to the trials, specifically on whether or not there will be a change of venue and whether all of the former officer's trials will be joined or held separately.

At this time trials are scheduled to begin in March.