Former Officer Charged in George Floyd’s Death to Be Tried Separately

A former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee to George Floyd’s neck for minutes will be tried separately from three other former officers accused in his death.

Court documents filed Tuesday show Derek Chauvin will stand trial alone in March due to the coronavirus pandemic while the others will be tried together in the summer. The judge wrote that it would be impossible to comply with social distancing made necessary by the coronavirus if all four defendants were tried at the same time.

Chauvin, who is white, is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May death of Floyd, who was Black. The other three former officers are charged with aiding and abetting. They will still be tried together in August.