Gonna be a hot time in Minnessoda.Via ABC:ST. PAUL, Minn.
— A third-degree murder charge against a former police officer involved in the death of George Floyd has been dismissed.
A Hennepin County judge dismissed the charge Thursday against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer captured on video pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck.
The state has five days to appeal.
However, the other charges against Chauvin – unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – still stand.
Under the state’s sentencing guidelines, a conviction on unintentional second-degree murder carries a presumptive sentence of 12.5 years.
But a judge can order a sentence ranging up to 15 years without departing from the guidelines. For second-degree manslaughter, the guidelines call for four years in prison, or a discretionary range up to 4.75 years.
In the same ruling issued by Judge Peter A. Cahill Thursday, the motion to dismiss the charges for the three other former police officers, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, was denied.
Kueng, Lane and Thao are all still charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter.