Fired Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin set to appear in court for George Floyd’s death
Attorneys Guy Lewis and Joseph Marrone break down the charges in the George Floyd case on ‘America’s News HQ.’
A judge on Monday set bail for ex-police officer Derek Chauvin at $1.25 million, or $1 million if he met certain conditions, in the May 25 death of George Floyd.
Chauvin is facing charges including second-degree murder in a case that has sparked global unrest about social injustice and police brutality.
Chauvin, 44, said almost nothing during an 11-minute hearing in which he appeared before Hennepin County Judge Denise Reilly on closed-circuit television from the state’s maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights.
His attorney, Eric Nelson, did not contest the bail — raised from the $500,000 initially set in the case — and didn’t address the substance of the charges, which also include third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
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His conditions for a supervised release include that he cannot leave the state without permission and he must keep all appointments and attend hearings. His other conditions included that he did not work in a security capacity, and that he carry no firearms and cannot have a firearms permit. He’s still a licensed peace officer but not employed at the moment, and to be released he must have no contact with the victim in any way, and he would need to waive extradition upon his release.
Chauvin’s next appearance was set for June 29 at 1:30 p.m.
Floyd, a 46-year-old out-of-work bouncer, died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for over eight minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air. His death inspired international protests and has drawn new attention to the racist treatment of African-Americans by police and the criminal justice system.
Chauvin and three other officers on the scene were fired the day after Floyd’s death.
The other three officers — J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were charged with aiding and abetting. They remained in the Hennepin County jail on $750,000 bond.
Floyd’s death has ignited calls to reform the Minneapolis Police Department, which community activists have long accused of entrenched racial discrimination and brutality. Most Minneapolis City Council members said Sunday that they favored disbanding the department entirely, though they had yet to offer concrete plans for what would replace it.
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The state last week launched a civil rights investigation of the department. On Friday, the council approved a stipulated agreement that immediately banned the use of chokeholds and neck restraints and included several other changes. That investigation was ongoing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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