Don t kill me : Others tell of abuse by officer who knelt on George Floyd
11 minutes to read
By: Jamiles Lartey and Abbie VanSickle
Firsthand accounts accuse Derek Chauvin, the police officer who pressed his knee into George Floyd s neck in Minneapolis, of using similar tactics on detainees over the years. Nearly three years before Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd as he cried out that he couldn t breathe last May, Zoya Code found herself in a similar position: handcuffed facedown on the ground, with Chauvin s knee on her.
The officer had answered a call of a domestic dispute at her home, and Code said he forced her down when she tried to pull away.
5 Min Read
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - For some of those who encountered Derek Chauvin’s policing or witnessed his use of force as an officer there is no sympathy for the man convicted of killing George Floyd.
Monroe Skinaway, who lives in Minneapolis and witnessed former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin performing an arrest on Sir Rilee Peet in March 2019 that is similar to the one he did on George Floyd on May 25, 2020 that resulted in Floyd s death, speaks during an interview in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. April 17, 2021. REUTERS/Octavio Jones
Chauvin was the subject of at least 17 complaints during his career, according to police records, but only one led to discipline. Prosecutors sought permission to introduce eight prior use-of-force incidents, but the judge would only allow two. In the end the jury heard none.
By Nathan Layne
MINNEAPOLIS, April 21 (Reuters) - For some of those who encountered Derek Chauvin s policing or witnessed his use of force as an officer there is no sympathy for the man convicted of killing George Floyd.
Chauvin was the subject of at least 17 complaints during his career, according to police records, but only one led to discipline. Prosecutors sought permission to introduce eight prior use-of-force incidents, but the judge would only allow two. In the end the jury heard none.
Eric Nelson, Chauvin s lawyer, has defended his client s use of force as appropriate in potentially dangerous situations. I don t have no sympathy for him. I think he got what he deserved, Julian Hernandez, 38, a carpenter now working in Pennsylvania, told Reuters.