Derek Chauvin changes plea in federal civil rights case in George Floyd’s death to change plea in federal case
Chauvin is accused of stripping Floyd of his right not to be “unreasonably occupied”, including the right not to be subjected to unjustified use of force by the police. ”
Chauvin pleaded not guilty in September.
Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, has sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
Bystander’s video shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds while the 46-year-old man, handcuffed and lying on his stomach in the street, gasping for breath, tells Chauvin and other officers, “I can’t breathe Okay.”
The guilty plea hearing change is scheduled for the United States District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
A spokesman for the court told CNN: “Whatever his initial plea was, he has indicated he wants to change that plea.”
CNN left a message Monday for Chauvin’s attorney but did not receive an immediate response.
Former officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were also charged in connection with their alleged failure to interfere in Chauvin’s unjustified use of force, according to the federal indictment. Chauvin, Thao, Kueng and Thomas Lane also face charges for not providing medical aid to Floyd.
Thao, Kueng and Lane pleaded not guilty in September.
The indictment said “the defendants saw George Floyd lying on the ground clearly in need of medical attention, and knowingly failed to help Floyd, thereby acting in deliberate indifference with the risk of substantial harm to his health.” Floyd.”
In April, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd’s killing. He was sentenced to 22 and a half years in state prison. Under Minnesota law, Chauvin would have to serve two-thirds of his sentence, or 15 years – and he would be eligible for supervised release for the remaining seven and a half years.
Thao, Kueng and Lane were charged in state court with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. They pleaded not guilty. That test is now set for March 2022.
.
