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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 23 OctOber 2020
Judge dismisses 1 charge against former cop in Floyd's death

By AMY FORLITI is not associated with this
Associated Press case, said the dismissal of
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A the third-degree murder
Minnesota judge has dis- count is not surprising and
missed a third-degree mur- that the elements of the
der charge filed against charge were not a good
the former Minneapolis fit based on the facts cur-
police officer who pressed rently known.
his knee against George Cahill also found prob-
Floyd's neck, saying there able cause for the aiding
was not enough probable and abetting charges to
cause for that count to pro- proceed against Lane,
ceed to trial. The more se- Kueng and Thao, saying
rious second-degree mur- they could be found crimi-
der charge against Derek nally liable if prosecutors
Chauvin remains. can prove they intention-
Hennepin County District ally aided or conspired with
Judge Peter Cahill's ruling, This combination of June 3, 2020, file photos, provided by the Hennepin County, Minn.m, Sheriff's Chauvin, and that they
dated Wednesday and Office, shows, from left, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. knew Chauvin was com-
made public Thursday, Associated Press mitting a crime at the time.
found probable cause for reckoning on race. All four of death. He also said ers, his partner, or others. He said prosecutors also
Chauvin to be tried on one officers were fired. They are Chauvin's decision to con- In this case, Cahill said, must show that their pres-
count of unintentional sec- scheduled to stand trial in tinue kneeling on Floyd's "nothing about the man- ence or actions allowed
ond-degree murder and March. neck after he went silent ner in which Chauvin the crime to continue.
one count of second-de- In light of Cahill's ruling, and motionless, and to ig- pressed his knee down on Lane and Kueng heard
gree manslaughter. Cahill Gov. Tim Walz activated nore cries from bystand- Floyd's neck for nine-plus Floyd say he couldn't
also found probable cause the Minnesota National ers, "is strong evidence of minutes while Kueng and breathe, knew Chauvin
to move forward with the Guard in anticipation of Chauvin's intent to inflict Lane were also kneeling on was kneeling on Floyd's
aiding and abetting counts protests. Protesters demon- bodily harm." Floyd's back and legs was neck, and heard the cries
against three other former strated in the streets after To prove a third-degree eminently dangerous to of the crowd, yet they con-
officers, Thomas Lane, J. Chauvin was released on murder charge, pros- anyone other than Floyd. tinued to restrain Floyd by
Kueng and Tou Thao. bail earlier this month, re- ecutors must show that And, nothing about that his legs and back, Cahill
"In this court's view, with sulting in dozens of arrests. Chauvin's intentional con- conduct can be said to said. The fact that Lane
one exception, the State On the second-degree duct was "eminently dan- have been done in heed- asked if Floyd should be
has met its burden of show- murder charge, prosecu- gerous to others" and not less disregard for whether rolled to a recovery position
ing probable cause that tors presented probable specifically directed at the anyone other than Floyd, shows that Lane knew "the
warrants proceeding to cause to show Chauvin's person who died, Cahill the person who was specif- consequences of keeping
trial against each of these actions were a "substan- said. "This is not an appropri- ically the target and focus Floyd pinned face-down
Defendants on each of the tial causal factor" in Floyd's ate case for a third-degree of Chauvin's actions." to the ground" but elected
criminal charges the State death, and that he was murder charge," he said. Attorney Ben Crump said to "stay the course," Cahill
has filed against them," Ca- committing or attempting While former Minneapolis in a statement that Floyd's said.
hill wrote. He said a jury will to commit another felony police officer Mohamed family is grateful that most Lane never tried to extract
decide whether they are at the time, in this case, as- Noor was convicted of of the counts were pre- himself from the situation
guilty. Floyd, a Black man sault, Cahill wrote. third-degree murder in the served, including the more or assertively tell Chauvin
in handcuffs, died May 25 He said prosecutors do not 2017 killing of Justine Ruszc- serious second-degree to stop, he said. Even if the
after Chauvin, who is white, need to show Chauvin's ac- zyk Damond, Cahill said murder count, "for which initial restraint of Floyd was
pressed his knee against tions were the sole cause the cases are "factually dis- we expect a conviction, justified, that doesn't grant
Floyd's neck as he said he of Floyd's death, and the tinguishable." Noor fired a based on the clear and ev- the defendants "carte
couldn't breathe. Floyd's facts offered by prosecu- gun outside his squad car ident use of excessive force blanche" to continue to
death sparked protests in tors so far are enough to window, potentially endan- that we all saw on video." restrain him without consid-
Minneapolis and beyond, present to a jury, which will gering a nearby bicyclist, Nicole Kettwick, a crimi- ering the changing circum-
and led to a nationwide determine Floyd's cause residents, possible bystand- nal defense attorney who stances, the judge said. q

Funnel cakes to go: Drive-thru fair draws thousands in S.C.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — was held Tuesday and Drive-thru food stands sold
Organizers say thousands Wednesday in Columbia. fair food including fun-
of people turned out to Fair Manager Nancy Smith nel cakes and corn dogs,
peer at agricultural exhib- says in a news release that and workers wearing face
its from their car windows more than 10,000 people masks handed orders to
and grab to-go funnel came through in cars on people in their cars.
cakes at a drive-thru fair in the first day, and one per- "Safety has always been
South Carolina. son arrived at 4:30 a.m. our first priority, and we
The more than 150-year- because he wanted to be are so thrilled to see how
old South Carolina State the first person in line. our patrons have em-
Fair couldn't go off as nor- There weren't any rides. braced the changes while
mal this year because of But the fair website says still showing tremendous
In this July 29, 2020 file photo, South Carolina's fairgrounds sit the coronavirus pandem- drive-thru exhibits includ- support for the fair," Smith
mostly empty in Columbia, S.C. ic, so organizers devised ed old fire trucks, livestock said.q
Associated Press a drive-thru version that and a calliope.