Derek Chauvin Biography
Derek Chauvin is an ex-police officer from the United States who was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Derek Chauvin was born Derek Michael Chauvin.
During the arrest that took place on May 25, 2020, with three other officers, Chauvin had knelt on Floyd’s neck for approximately nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the street yelling, “I can’t breathe.” During this time, Floyd had been screaming that he was unable to breathe. On May 26, he was terminated from his position with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), and on May 29, he was taken into custody.
As a result of the murder, a number of demonstrations were held in the Twin Cities as well as the rest of the United States. These demonstrations eventually expanded all over the world. Chauvin was accused of committing murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the second degree, and unintentional murder in the third degree.
Derek Chauvin Age
He was born on 19 March 1976, in Oakdale, Minnesota, United States. He is 47 years old.
Derek Chauvin Ex-Wife / Divorce
The former wife of Chauvin is a Hmong immigrant from Laos who competed in and won the “Mrs. Minnesota” pageant in 2018. She is a real estate agent and a photographer. She submitted the paperwork for a divorce the day before he was arrested for Floyd’s murder, and the divorce was finalized the following year in February 2021.
Derek Chauvin Height
He stands at a height of 5ft 12in.
Derek Chauvin Career
In the year 2001, he became a member of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). During his time on the force, he was involved in three different shooting incidents, one of which resulted in a fatality. In 2006, he was awarded a medal for valor for being one of several officers who fired on a suspect who pointed a shotgun at them. In 2008, he was awarded another medal for valor for breaking down a door and shooting a suspect who was reaching for his pistol during a domestic violence incident. Both of these actions earned him medals for valor.
After he and his colleague tackled a running suspect who was brandishing a pistol in 2008, they were awarded a commendation medal for their efforts. After volunteering his off-duty time to provide security for a nightclub in 2009, Chauvin was awarded a commendation medal for his efforts.
Derek Chauvin George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, Chauvin was one of four officers that participated in the arrest of George Floyd, who was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a market. Chauvin was also the field training officer for one of the other officers who participated in the arrest. The footage from a nearby company’s surveillance cameras did not show Floyd struggling against the arrest in any way.
The criminal complaint alleged that, based on evidence from the body camera, Floyd repeatedly stated that he could not breathe while standing outside of the police car, refused going inside the car, and then fell down; he sank to the ground face down.
More than nine minutes passed during which Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck while he was shackled and lay face down on the street. Floyd said the phrases “I can’t breathe,” “Mama,” and “please” on multiple occasions when Chauvin placed his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck. Two more cops squatted on Floyd’s back for a portion of the time while they were there. Floyd remained still and without a pulse for the remaining two minutes of the game. A number of witnesses captured the event on camera, which was subsequently broadcast and extensively distributed.
The following day after the event, Chauvin and the other cops involved were terminated from their positions. Although Chauvin’s use of the knee-to-neck restraint technique is legal in Minnesota under certain conditions, it has been widely criticized as being excessive by law enforcement professionals due to its severity. On June 23, the Chief of Police for the city of Minneapolis, Medaria Arradondo, stated that Chauvin had been taught on the dangers of positional asphyxiation and that Floyd’s death was considered to be a homicide.
Derek Chauvin Imprisonment
After being found guilty, Chauvin had his bail revoked, and he was remanded into jail by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. From there, he was taken to the Minnesota Department of Corrections. After that, he was sent to the maximum-security state prison in Oak Park Heights, which is the same facility that he had been housed in after his arrest in the year 2020.
Chauvin is kept in solitary confinement in a secluded wing of the jail for the entirety of each day, where he is subject to round-the-clock surveillance “because of concerns for his safety.” The hearing for Chauvin’s sentencing was scheduled for June 25th, 2021, therefore he was detained at Oak Park Heights until then. After concluding that Chauvin had handled Floyd “with extreme cruelty,” Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill on May 12, 2021, granted permission for the prosecution to seek a longer term of incarceration so that Chauvin might serve more time.
On June 3, 2021, it was reported that the prosecution was seeking a sentence of thirty years imprisonment for Chauvin based on the extreme cruelty he displayed when he murdered 46-year-old George Floyd. This act went against any human conscience of society, and as a result, severe punishment ought to be warranted for Chauvin’s actions. George Floyd was a police officer.
Chauvin pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Floyd while exceeding his moral duties as an officer and asked to be placed on probation rather than serving time in prison for his actions. During the hearing that took place on June 25, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder and was given a sentence of 22.5 years in prison (minus the 199 days of credit he got). However, the charges of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder have not yet been adjudicated.
