Derek Chauvin moved to super secure Oak Park Heights prison which only had one homicide and no escape so far
Fired and disgraced Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been shifted to one of the most secure prisons in the US on Sunday, May 31, night. In an unlikely move, Chauvin who is currently facing a murder charge in the death of George Floyd was transferred late on Sunday to Oak Park Heights Prison, which is Minnesota's only Level Five maximum security facility.
The prison houses around 400 inmates and has never had an escape so far. It has also been regarded as one of the country's safest and has had one homicide in its history. Chauvin was due to appear in court on Monday, June 1, according to a Daily Mail report. However, since Minneapolis is still gripped by violence, it was pushed back to June 8.
According to recent data that was released by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the Oak Park Heights Prison holds 297 murderers, 69 sexual predators, and 8 kidnappers. Around 46% of the prison population is African American. The cells in the prison are around 7 feet by 10 feet and have cement slab beds and toilets. The sinks are made of steel so it is impossible to break off and use as a weapon.
It is also reported that the windows are said to be so secure that it would take around 12,000 blades to cut through the bars. Chauvin, who had knelt on the neck of 46-yar-old George Floyd suffocating him leading to his death, spent the weekend in solitary confinement in a heavily guarded Minnesota jail. Chauvin was held under high security as SWAT teams with binoculars and rifles stood from the rooftop of the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center. There has been nationwide outrage and unrest taking place as people protest police brutality and disregard for black lives.
We had earlier reported that sources told TMZ that Chauvin was being kept in isolation and being watched constantly at the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center. His movements in the cell were being monitored by a CCTV camera 24/7 and he was also being checked in person by security guards every 15 minutes.
The source did not specifically mention that he was on suicide watch but law enforcement experts said that these were all classic signs of someone who was kept on suicide watch. Recently, the wife of ex-cop Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with the murder of George Floyd, filed for divorce. Kellie Chauvin released a statement through a lawyer on Friday, May 29, and is reportedly "devastated" by Floyd's death. She has offered her condolences to his friends and family and all those grieving, according to a CBS Minnesota report.
Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter after he was seen kneeling on Floyd's neck for a sickening eight minutes. The disgraced cop was one of the four officers who were fired after the incident. The four cops who were involved have been identified as Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng.
In a shocking and viral video clip, Floyd was repeatedly saying that he was unable to breathe as he was pinned to the ground by Chauvin who knelt on his neck. He eventually lost consciousness and died. His death has sparked outrage and anger across the country with protesters demanding justice.
It has also been reported that it is possible for Chauvin to be slapped with additional charges. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison shared that he expects that Chauvin will get some additional charges. While speaking to Daily Mail, he said, "Let me say that we are very early in this process, very early. It is not uncommon to amend charges. It is not uncommon to add defendants. The fact is that the investigation is still going on and it actually, it's actually in the middle of the investigation, or maybe even the beginning of the middle. And so I don't want anyone to conclude that these are all the charges that are going be there."