Minneapolis office Derek Chauvin, the cop who kept his knee pressed against George Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes before his body went motionless last month, appeared in court for the first time on Monday. He appeared in the Hennepin County court via a video conference from prison. At the conclusion of the short 15-minute hearing, Circuit Court Judge Jeannice Reding increased his bail from $1 million to $1.25 million, with the following conditions.
Ex-cop Derek Chauvin’s bail is set at $1.25 million bail w/conditions:
— Stephanie Wash (@WashNews) June 8, 2020
- no contact with Floyd’s family
- can’t work law enforcement or security
- can’t possess firearms/ammunition & must surrender permits/licenses
- waive extradition
- can’t leave state w/o permission (cont)
The video of Chauvin and three other officers subduing Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, and ultimately killing him, sent shockwaves across the country. Initially, all four officers were fired and Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder. After severe backlash, including rounds of violent rioting, prosecutors increased the charge to second-degree murder and the other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting. They were granted bail last week.
Several more lives have been taken in riots all over the country. In addition to those demonstrations has come a new movement to defund or even abolish the police. The Minneapolis City Council voted to disband the MPD over the weekend, with the council president even telling CNN that she hopes for a "police-free future." Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who does not support abolishing the police department, was raucously booed out of a rally on Sunday.
Chauvin's next court appearance is June 29.
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