In a strange development to the George Floyd case which has sparked protests all over the country, the former co-worker of Floyd and the police officer Derek Chauvin has recanted his story. David Pinney claimed that he worked with both Floyd and Chauvin at the El Nuevo Rodeo nightclub providing security years ago. He also claimed that he has knowledge of there being some kind of tension between the two but now he is taking back what he had said.

Pinney claimed that Floyd knew each other and that they have had some conflict before. He said that the conflict came from the overly aggressive nature of Chauvin. He also claimed that he knew Floyd very well since they worked together and that he considered Floyd to be a brother. Pinney also said that he had been times when he had to intervene between the two.

During an interview on CBS, Pinney even claimed that there is no doubt in his mind that Chauvin knew Floyd. Pinney’s made the incident way worse. While the death of Floyd is seen by a vast majority of Americans as wrongful, the claim that Chauvin knew Floyd made it seem like the police officer had some score to settle with his former co-worker.

But in a bizarre turn of events, Pinney is taking back everything that he said. He now says that he confused Floyd with another worker at the bar. Pinney sent out a corrective email claiming that the bar owner had corrected him of his mistake. “She specifically said she was unable to give detailed information about George because she did not have a close relationship with him as I did. I apologize for not doing my due diligence and placing you in a very uncomfortable situation,” Pinney stated in his email.

Pinney’s claim could have been used to elevate the charges against Chauvin to first-degree murder, which could have resulted in him walking free if the claim is later proven to be false.