Cop charged with murder in George Floyd case released

ISLAMABAD: Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the killing of George Floyd, was released on a million dollar bond Wednesday.

Chauvin, 44, is facing murder and manslaughter charges after video showed him kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes during an arrest on May 25. He was released Wednesday on a conditional release and is expected to appear in court in March of next year, according to his notice of release filed in court, international media reported.

Court records show that Chauvin, who was charged in late May and has been in custody for months, posted a non-cash bond.

Four officers were terminated from the department and charged in Floyd’s death, which sparked protests over racial injustice across the globe. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter and faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.

The other three officers — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — have been charged with aiding and abetting murder as well as aiding and abetting manslaughter. It does not appear that any of the former officers have entered pleas in their cases, according to court records.

Minneapolis officers were responding to a report of a counterfeit $20 bill being used at a local grocery store when they encountered Floyd, according to the criminal complaint that was filed against Chauvin.

Lane found Floyd parked nearby and the officer pulled his gun, ordering Floyd to get out of his car, and handcuffed him, the complaint said. A cuffed Floyd was eventually put face-down on the pavement with Kueng holding down his back and Lane pressing down his legs, the charging document against Chauvin said.

Multiple videos have been released on Floyd’s arrest, with one showing him pinned down by three different officers near a patrol car while a fourth stands near his head. "Please, please, please, I can't breathe," Floyd begged in one video caught by a bystander. "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can't breathe." He died while in custody that day.