MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee to the neck of George Floyd for several 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 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 is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter the May death of Floyd. The other three former officers are charged with aiding and abetting.