Derek Chauvin Faces Charges For ‘Kneeling On Black Teen’s Neck’ Years Before George Floyd
Published
| Last updated
Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd last May, is now facing charges for allegedly ‘kneeling on a Black teen’s neck’ three years before.
Hennepin County prosecutors in Minneapolis allege that back in September 2017, Chauvin kneeled on a Black 14-year-old boy’s neck while he was handcuffed, reportedly leaving him bleeding from the ear.
It’s also alleged that the teen – who has not been named – was beaten by Chauvin and left in need of two stitches as a result of his injuries.
Prosecutors have claimed the boy was restrained by the ex-police officer for a full 17 minutes and was also held by the throat, despite not resisting arrest.
The allegations detail a similar form of restraint Chauvin used when he killed security officer George Floyd last year.
Chauvin, 45, was brought to court via video link on Thursday, September 16, on charges of violating the teenager’s civil rights and depriving him of his right to be free of unreasonable force. He pleaded not guilty.
After being sentenced to jail for 22-and-a-half years for the murder of George Floyd, during which he knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. The disgraced Chauvin now faces up to 10 years behind bars and/or a fine for each of the charges related to the alleged 2017 incident if he’s found guilty.
The Star Tribune reports that Chauvin allegedly held the teen by the throat, hit him in the head multiple times with a flashlight and held his knee on the boy’s neck and upper back while the teen was lying on the ground, handcuffed and pleading for air.
In a police report filed at the time, Chauvin claimed the teen was resisting arrest and described the teenager as 14 years old, 6″2 and 240 lbs. Chauvin wrote that he used ‘body weight to pin’ the teen down in the report.
Chauvin was found guilty earlier this year of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. On Tuesday, Chauvin, along with former officers Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, were arraigned on civil rights violations over Floyd’s death.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact Stop Hate UK by visiting their website www.stophateuk.org/talk
Topics: News, Black Lives Matter, BLM, Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Now, police brutality
