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George Floyd case: Ex-cop Derek Chauvin allowed to leave Minnesota before murder trial due to 'safety concerns'

A Hennepin County judge ruled for conditional release after stating that the Department of Corrections had provided the court evidence of unidentified "safety concerns" in Chauvin's pretrial
PUBLISHED OCT 10, 2020
 Derek Chauvin (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)
Derek Chauvin (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)

Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who was arrested for his involvement in the death of George Floyd, has been allowed to leave Minnesota before his murder trial because of "safety concerns". A Hennepin County judge, on Friday, October 9, ruled for conditional release after stating that the Department of Corrections had provided the court evidence of unidentified "safety concerns" in Chauvin's pretrial.

The judge, in his ruling, stated that Chauvin could either live in Minnesota or a neighboring state. The latest update in the case comes just a day after Chauvin bailed out of prison. The former cop was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility on Wednesday morning, October 7, after being imprisoned since May 31. 

Four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's brutal death were fired on May 26 after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The footage showed Floyd, an unarmed Black man, pleading with officers as one of them, Chauvin, knelt on his neck for over seven minutes. The 46-year-old, in a video recording of the incident, was consistently heard saying he could not breathe and eventually became unconscious.

All four officers — Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Alex Kueng and Tou Thao — were later arrested in the case. According to the Hennepin County medical examiner's office, Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while he was restraint by Chauvin.

The 44-year-old, who was fired after widespread protests, has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death. Chauvin was held at the Hennepin and Ramsey county jails before being transferred to the Oak Park Heights facility. 

A protester holds a sign with a photo of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin during demonstrations following the death of George Floyd on May 30, 2020, in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images)

Shortly after Chauvin's release, protests flared up in Minneapolis against the decision as the National Guard was activated out of "an abundance of caution", according to reports. Nearly a hundred soldiers were mobilized to assist local law enforcement along with 100 Minnesota State Patrol troopers in the wake of fresh demonstrations in the region against police brutality and systemic racism. 

Chavin's bail conditions state that he must not have any form of contact with any members of the Floyd family and must attend all court appearances. The former cop is also not permitted to work in law enforcement or security and must not possess any firearms. The other three officers in the case, who have been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, previously posted bail amounts of $750,000.

At present, all four officers involved in Floyd's murder are out of jail. They are, however, scheduled to face trial together on March 9, however, a judge is reportedly considering having the suspects tried separately. A new police bodycam footage of Floyd being arrested by Minneapolis police officers on May 25 emerged in August, which showed him terrified and pleading for his life as he asked an officer to not shoot him.

Floyd, in the recent video released by a judge, was seen begging for his life to be spared as former officer Lane pointed a gun at him. The clip recorded the moment right after Floyd was ordered to step out of his car after claims that he had attempted to use a counterfeit $20 note at a grocery store.

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