Chauvin, 45, who has begun serving his prison sentence of 22.5 years, is facing additional federal charges for violating Floyd’s constitutional rights when he knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes after attempting to arrest him in May of 2020. A federal docket entry showed the hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday in which Chauvin will change his current not guilty plea in the case. The two federal charges against Chauvin allege that he used unreasonable force and acted with “deliberate indifference” after pining Floyd to the floor while he was crying out for help. RELATED: Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22.5 Years — As Many Ask When US Courts Will Stop Going Easy On Killer Cops
Why is Derek Chauvin will plead not guilty to these charges?
According to many legal experts, they expected Chauvin to eventually plead guilty to the federal charges. They say that the case against him is strong, and a plea deal would most likely bring a lighter sentence than a conviction after trial, which would send him to prison for life. It was also reported that if Chauvin pleads guilty it will give him the opportunity of being placed in a federal prison instead of a state prison, and prevent him from being in the same place as inmates whom he helped place there.
Other police officers have also been charged with violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Chauvin, along with the three former officers, Thomas Lane, J Kueng and Tou Thao, were set to go to trial in late January on federal charges pertaining to violating Floyd’s rights. It’s unclear if the three other officers are planning to plead guilty as well. The evidence in the case shows that Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd while he was on the ground. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back while Lane held down his legs. Thao held back bystanders and kept them from intervening during the incident. RELATED: Darnella Frazier, Thank You For Bringing Derek Chauvin To Justice For The Murder Of George Floyd The indictment alleges that Thao and Kueng were aware that Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck, even after Floyd became unresponsive and “willfully failed to intervene to stop Defendant Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.” All four men are charged with willfully depriving George Floyd of liberty without due process, including ignoring his need for “serious medical needs.”
Chauvin is still being held accountable for his failings as a police officer.
Chauvin is also facing charges in a second indictment, stemming from his use of force and neck restraint on a teenager in 2017. The indictment alleges that Chauvin deprived a Black 14-year-old boy of his right to be free of unreasonable force. Chauvin held the teenager by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee against the boy’s neck and upper back while the boy was handcuffed and not resisting. Chauvin is currently being held in solitary confinement in a Minnesota maximum security state prison, the only one in the state, since April of 2020. A guilty plea from Chauvin can help a city and community heal from the traumatic events that followed the merciless killing of George Floyd. The murder of George Floyd, a Black man at the hands of a white police officer sparked a nationwide outcry and one of the largest protest movement of this generation. The three other former officers involved in the murder are also being charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter, and are scheduled to go to trial in March. RELATED: The Guilty Verdict In Derek Chauvin’s Case Doesn’t End The Fight Against Systemic Racism Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.
