Day Four: 1 more jury member added to serve during Derek Chauvin trial

On the fourth day of the Derek Chauvin trial jury-selection process, only one more juror was added to the jury. The biggest news of the day involved Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill reinstating a third-degree murder charge against the former Minneapolis police officer.

The move came a day after the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s effort to block the charge.

Cahill had earlier rejected the charge as not warranted by the circumstances of Floyd’s death. However, an appellate court ruling in an unrelated case established a new precedent for the charge.

Judge OKs 3rd-degree murder charge against Chauvin in Floyd’s death

Chauvin was already charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The sole juror selected Thursday described himself as an outgoing, family-oriented soccer fan for whom the prospect of the trial was "kind of exciting."

The man, who said his favorite team is the Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, said he’s also a fan of true crime podcasts and TV shows. He acknowledged under questioning from defense attorney Eric Nelson that he had a "very negative" impression of Chauvin. The man wrote on his questionnaire that he had seen the widely viewed bystander video of Floyd "desperately screaming that he couldn’t breathe" even as other officers stood by and bystanders shouted that Chauvin was killing George Floyd.

Yet asked whether he could set his opinions aside and stick to the evidence presented in court, he replied: "I’m willing to see all the evidence and everything, hear witnesses."

Several other candidates were dismissed, including a woman who said she "can’t unsee the video" of Chauvin pinning Floyd, and a man who said he has doubts about Black Lives Matter and the way the group pursues its goals.

Nelson pressed the woman on her ability to be fair despite her strong opinions.

Asked how the events of last summer had affected the community, she replied: "Negatively affected because a life was taken. Positively because a movement has come from it and the whole world knows." Asked about the property damage during the unrest, she said, "I felt that was what needed to happen to bring this to the world’s attention."

Derek Chauvin trial: Meet the jurors

"Looking in your heart and looking in your mind can you assure us you can set all of that aside, all of that, and focus only on the evidence that is presented in this courtroom?" Nelson asked.

"I can assure you, but like you mentioned earlier, the video is going to be a big part of the evidence and there’s no changing my mind about that," she replied.

Cahill dismissed her for cause, sparing Nelson from having to use one of his peremptory strikes. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher objected, saying she might have been subjected to harder questioning than other potential jurors. The judge did not agree with Schleicher.

The jury now consists of six members — one Black man, one Hispanic man, one multiracial woman, and three white men. Eight seats remain to be filled, with two of those being alternate jurors.

No family members of Floyd were seen in the courtroom on Thursday.

The defense has yet to say if Chauvin will testify in his own defense during the trial.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.