Judge Peter Cahill decided that all four of the officers involved in the death of George Floyd would have their individual cases combined for a trial on March 8th, 2021. Cahill wrote that combining the cases will guarantee the jury has a better understanding of all evidence surrounding the case.
Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng face charges in the death of George Floyd
What We Know:
- Derek Chauvin was recorded with his knee on George Floyd’s neck in Minneapolis on May 25th of 2020. Three other officers were present and did not aid George Floyd during the eight minutes where he was being strangled and repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe”. The death of Floyd sparked a summer of protests around police brutality against Black people.
- All three officers were fired the day after Floyd’s death and held in custody as of June 3rd, but all were eventually released on bail by October 7th with Chauvin being the last.
- Derek Chauvin is being charged with manslaughter and second degree murder, while the other three officers, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng are being charged with aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter.
- The trial will happen in Hennepin County. There were attempts to have the trial moved elsewhere, but Judge Cahill denied the relocation. An attorney told CNN, “The attorneys also said, ‘The White officers involved in the death of George Floyd should rightly face a jury of their peers in the city where this tragedy took place’.”
- There will be live broadcasting allowed even though this is typically unusual in Minnesota courts. It can be assumed that the tension and popularity surrounding the case have swayed the judge to allow broadcasting.
The March 7th date for the trial is subject to change due to Covid-19 restrictions.
