George Floyd and Derek Chauvin ‘Bumped Heads’ at Nightclub Job, Former Coworker Says

George Floyd and Derek Chauvin, the fired police officer charged in Floyd’s death, used to work at the same nightclub together, and now a former coworker of theirs is saying that the pair often “bumped heads.” David Pinney spoke with CBS News about his time working with the two men, who both worked security at El Nuevo Rodeo.

Pinney stated that conflicts between the two arose due to Chauvin “being extremely aggressive within the club with some of the patrons.” He stated that this “was an issue.” When asked if he had “any doubt” about the two men knowing one another, Pinney said that he was absolutely sure that Chauvin knew who Floyd was. He then added that he believes they knew each other “pretty well.” Chauvin is said to have worked at El Nuevo Rodeo for 17 years, mostly sitting inside his squad car outside the club. Floyd reportedly began working security inside the club within the past year, and the two both worked Tuesday nights, when the club held a popular dance contest.

In addition to Pinney, El Nuevo Rodeo owner Maya Santamaria also spoke to CBS News, and was asked if she thought that Chauvin “had a problem with black people.” She stated that she thinks “he was afraid and intimidated” by them. Notably, the club was recently set on fire during one of the Minneapolis riots.

Floyd died on May 25, after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. The incident was caught on video and went viral the same day. Chauvin and three other officers involved were fired from the force, with Chauvin later being arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. An official autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office listed Floyd’s death as a homicide.

Chauvin’s murder charge has since been upped to second-degree murder. The other three officers were also arrested and charged with “aiding and abetting second-degree murder” and “aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.” When publicly announcing the charges, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, “I strongly believe that these developments are in the interest of justice for Mr. Floyd, his family, our community and our state.” Ellison also explained that he “did not allow public pressure to impact” his decision-making process and that his team “made these decisions based on the facts” they “gathered since this matter occurred.” He also stated that they made “these charges based on the law that we think applies.”