It’s starting to seem like this Derek Chauvin fella might be a bad guy. According to Reuters, a civil rights lawsuit filed this week against the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd alleges Chauvin exhibited racist behavior and used excessive force during two run-ins with Black residents of Minneapolis years ago.
The lawsuit is being brought by John Pope, Jr., and Zoya Code. Pope’s experience with Chauvin happened in September 2017, when the police were called to respond to a domestic disturbance situation in his home. Pope was just 14 at the time and was allegedly laying down in his bedroom and scrolling on his phone when the police arrived. According to the lawsuit, Chauvin rushed the teen, struck him multiple times in the head with a flashlight, and then pinned him to the floor by placing his knee on his back and neck.
Code’s interaction with Chauvin happened a few months earlier, in June 2017. Chauvin responded to a domestic disturbance call at her home and decided to attempt to restrain her. According to an account of the incident that Code gave to The New York Times last year, Chauvin handcuffed her, forced her to the ground, and put his knee on her neck.
In the cases of both Pope and Code, the charges initially brought against them by law enforcement were dropped. Chauvin never received any formal reprimand for these incidents. Now, the former cop, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for Floyd’s murder, may finally be held accountable for his previous actions too.
