Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was recorded kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until he died, was reportedly in plea deal talks with the county attorney’s office before his May 29 arrest.
via NYDN:
Hennepin County attorney’s office spokesperson Chuck Laszewski confirmed the negotiations took place, according to KMSP-TV. “Ultimately, those negotiations failed,” Laszewski said in a statement to the news station.
Unnamed sources said a deal on the table would have included state murder charges and federal civil rights charges, KMSP reported.
Chauvin knelt on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, for nearly nine minutes on May 25. Both men once worked at the same Minneapolis night club, and a co-worker there told CBS News that Chauvin, who is white, had bumped heads with Floyd.
Chauvin, 44, faces second-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder charges. He was initially charged with third-degree murder, but the charge was upgraded.
Three other cops who were at the scene also face charges.
Let’s be clear — the county was prepared to let him negotiate his charges before he was even arrested. Do you think he’s about to get a fair trial? We doubt it.
