Derek Chauvin's Bond Kept at $1M

Ex-cop barely spoke during first court appearance
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 8, 2020 2:14 PM CDT
Derek Chauvin's Bond Raised to $1M
Protesters gather at the public safety building before the first court appearance for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, on Monday, June 8, 2020 in Minneapolis.   (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

A judge on Monday kept bail at $1 million for the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder in George Floyd's death. Derek Chauvin, 44, said almost nothing during an 11-minute hearing in which he appeared before Hennepin County Judge Denise Reilly on closed-circuit television from the state's maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights, the AP reports. A judge raised Chauvin’s unconditional bond from $500,000 to $1 million when the second-degree murder charge was added on Wednesday. His attorney, Eric Nelson, did not contest the bail increase and didn't address the substance of the charges, which also include third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin's next appearance was set for June 29 at 1:30pm.

Floyd, a handcuffed black man, died May 25 after the white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after Floyd stopped moving and pleading for air. Chauvin and three other officers on the scene were fired the day after Floyd's death. The other three officers—J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao—are charged with aiding and abetting. They remain in the Hennepin County jail on $750,000 bond. Lane’s family has set up a website seeking donations to help him post bond. The site highlights Lane’s relative lack of experience—he had only recently completed his probationary period—and his questions to Chauvin about whether Floyd should be rolled onto his side. (Minneapolis City Council members have vowed to "dismantle" the police department.)

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