According to preliminary data from Nielsen, more than 18 million individuals across the country tuned in to the Derek Chauvin trial to witness the live verdict of the case. Many across the country viewed the prosecution of Chauvin on all three charges in connection with the death of George Floyd as justice finally being served.
During the trial, a 2017 incident involving the disgraced former cop surfaced while prosecutors were preparing the Floyd murder case against the ex-Minneapolis Police Department. The situation involving Chauvin and a Black teenager has the Department of Justice weighing charging Chauvin for the incident that occurred four years ago.
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Minnesota Department of Corrections via Getty Images
According to ABC News, the Department of Justice is reportedly considering charging Chauvin in a 2017 incident where footage shows Chauvin striking a 14-year-old Black teenager in the head so hard that he eventually needed footage to close the wound before kneeling on him for nearly 17 minutes, applying pressure on his upper back. Similar to Floyd, the teen complained he was unable to breathe.
Shortly after the incident, a state prosecutor wrote that “videos show a far more violent and forceful treatment of this child than Chauvin describes in his report,” but no subsequent action was taken against him. ABC News reports that the feds are now aiming to press charges against him based on evidence and body-cam footage.
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Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as he complained about being suffocated, eventually resulting in the death of the 46-year-old back on May 25th, 2020. He was convicted of his murder on Tuesday (April 20).
Minneapolis PD is said to have been aware of the DOJ investigation and is in full cooperation. The alleged incident occurred when a Minneapolis mom called officers claiming her children were attacking her. Prosecutors explained that Chauvin, “applied a neck restraint, causing the child to lose consciousness and go to the ground.”
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We’ll keep you updated as this situation develops.
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