A Pasig City prosecutor has dismissed frustrated murder and malicious mischief charges against Staff Sgt. Erwin Lagua, the police officer featured in a viral road crash video, allowing him to be released from custody Thursday.

Lagua will instead be arraigned Friday on a lesser charge of slight physical injury, according to Atty. Ariel Inton, founder and president of the Lawyers for Commuters’ Safety and Protection, which provided free legal assistance to the officer.

To recall, the case stemmed from a viral video recorded last week on the C-5 Road in Pasig City that appeared to show Lagua intentionally pushing a civilian motorcyclist, causing the rider to fall onto the busy highway.

Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Jasmin Pararuan of the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the heavier criminal raps after reviewing and analyzing the video of the altercation and road crash.

The review revealed a different context leading up to the crash than what was initially presented.

Earlier, the video had generated thousands of views, prompting National Police Commission (Napolcom) vice chairperson Ralph Calinisan to hold a press briefing.

During the briefing, Calinisan presented Lagua and publicly criticized Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Lt. Col. Edison Ouaño and investigator Police Corporal Benito Calungai Jr., accusing them of deliberately downgrading the initial charges to slight physical injuries.

Calinisan recommended filing the frustrated murder and malicious mischief charges against Lagua, an action that subsequently drew criticism following the prosecutor’s findings and the dismissal of the heavier raps.