Floyd cops to go on trial together

A Minnesota judge on Thursday ordered a single trial for the four cops charged in George Floyd’s death and declined their request to move the proceedings away from Minneapolis.

Attorneys for murder suspect Derek Chauvin and his three co-defendants had asked the judge to order separate trials, suggesting each man would likely seek to minimize their own role in the Memorial Day incident.

But Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said the complications of separate proceedings were too great and that trying the former officers together would “ensure that the jury understands … all of the evidence and the complete picture of Floyd’s death.”

The ex-cops’ attorneys also argued that the publicity around the case had made it impossible for their clients to get a fair trial in Minneapolis, adding that potential protests outside the courthouse could affect the jury or pose a safety risk to trial participants. Cahill declined the request, but he said he would revisit the decision if needed.

The judge also announced Thursday that he will allow cameras in the courtroom and ruled that the jurors will remain anonymous and will be sequestered for the trial, which is set to begin on March 8, according to The Star Tribune.

Chauvin, the white officer caught on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck in broad daylight as the unarmed Black man repeatedly begged for his life, is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. He was released on $1 million bond in October after spending more than four months at a Minnesota lockup.

The other three suspects — Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao — are each charged with aiding and abetting second- degree murder. They’re also free on bail.

Cell phone footage from the May 25 incident showed Thao trying to keep an angry crowd away from the scene while Kueng and Lane helped pin a handcuffed Floyd to the ground by his back and legs.

Video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck and blatantly ignoring the man’s cries of “I can’t breathe” unleashed a historic wave of protests against police brutality and systemic racism across the country. The 46-year-old father of five was taken into custody that day on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill at a convenience store.