Officer accused of killing George Floyd faces additional murder charge. ‘It’s something. We really need something.’
USA Today
March 11, 2021
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill Thursday granted prosecutors’ request to reinstate a third-degree murder charge. Chauvin, 44, is also charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd’s death sparked weeks of protests and prompted painful conversations around policing and race.
The ruling is a significant win for the prosecution. It’s difficult to convict police officers in use-of-force cases, but an additional charge — one with a lower standard of proof — gives prospective jurors another option to convict Chauvin in Floyd’s death.
