Former Officer Charged in Death of George Floyd Set Free on $1 Million Bond

By Shani Saxon Oct 08, 2020

Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murder in the May death of George Floyd, was released from prison on Wednesday (October 7) after posting a $1 million bond, according to Time.

Time reports:


According to court documents, Derek Chauvin posted $1 million bond, and the Department of Corrections has confirmed he is no longer in custody at the state’s facility in Oak Park Heights, where he had been detained. Hennepin County jail records show he was released shortly before 11:30 a.m. 


At this point, it is unclear where Chauvin got the money to pay his bond. A spokeswoman for the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association told Time that, although the organization has a legal defense fund, the group did not provide any money for Chauvin’s bail. The union representing Minneapolis police officers so far hasn’t responded to questions about their potential involvement in Chauvin’s bond payment. 

As Colorlines previously reported:


Floyd, 46, died shortly after [Chauvin] pinned the handcuffed father of two to the ground and proceeded to press his knee into the dying man’s back as he pleaded for mercy. “I can’t breathe. …Please stop,” Floyd could be heard saying to the officer on a video of the incident that quickly went viral and sparked widespread outrage. 


Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for close to nine minutes, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on May 29. The other three men involved in Floyd’s death—former officers J. Alexander KuengThomas Lane and Tou Thao—were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

According to Time:


Chauvin had the option of posting bail for $1.25 million without conditions or $1 million with conditions. Under the conditions of his release, he must attend all court appearances, cannot have any direct or indirect contact—including social media—with any members of Floyd’s family, cannot work in law enforcement or security, and must not possess any firearms ammunition. 


Kueng, Lane and Thao previously posted $750,000 in bonds and are awaiting trial, Time reports. All four men are scheduled to face trial together in March 2021.