Fired Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin Reportedly Arrested in the Death of George Floyd

Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has reportedly been arrested in the death of George Floyd. According to the Star Tribune and WCCO, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington told reporters on Friday that Chauvin has been placed into custody by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Additionally, he reportedly was charged with 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter.

Earlier this week, video footage surfaced of Floyd being arrested by the officers, with Chauvin seen kneeling on his neck for several minutes during the incident. Floyd eventually became unresponsive and had to be transported to the hospital. Medical personnel reportedly attempted to revive Floyd for an hour, but he was eventually pronounced dead. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for criminal charges to be brought against the officers, saying that he firmly believes Floyd would “be alive today if he were white.” Frey went on to refer to Chauvin specifically, saying “I’m not a prosecutor, but let me be clear, the arresting officer killed someone.” There is no word on if the three other officers involved have been taken into custody, or if they will face charges themselves.

Chauvin is a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force, and has been brought up in complaints nearly a dozen times; almost none of the complaints resulted in reprimand. Two of the complaints reportedly resulted in a letter being issued to Chauvin. He was also at the center of a number of internal complaints regarding “tone” and “language.”

Notably, an initial police report on Floyd’s death stated that when the officers attempted to apprehend him, he resisted. However, security camera footage from a nearby restaurant revealed that Floyd did not resist his arrest in the time leading up to what bystander footage captured. The security camera footage showed Floyd cooperating with officers and then falling on the ground when they walked him to a squad car. It was at this time that citizens in the area began to take notice of the arrest and started filming with their cell phones.

Before passing out with Chauvin’s knee on his neck, Floyd could be heard saying that he was in pain and that he couldn’t breathe. Many of the bystanders also were heard pointing this out to the officers. Floyd’s death set off widespread protests, which have turned to rioting and looting in some areas. The National Guard has since been brought in to help the city officials regain control in the rioting areas.