On February 2, local time, due to the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who was kneeling, one of the three defendants who had not yet been tried was diagnosed with new crown pneumonia, and the trial scheduled for the 2nd was announced to be suspended.
A U.S. District Court judge in St. Paul, Minnesota, announced the news that one of the defendants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 at a hearing that day and expressed concerns that the outbreak could lead to trial delays, asking lawyers to recognize this and expedite the proceedings. The court also said that all trial participants will be tested again for COVID-19 before the trial resumes.