Ex-cop posts US$1mil bail
Release of Floyd’s murder suspect reignites BLM protests
WASHINGTON: The police officer charged with killing George Floyd, the black American whose death sparked a mass protest movement, was released from a Minnesota jail on US$1mil (RM4.15mil) bail.
Derek Chauvin, who was filmed pressing his knee to handcuffed Floyd’s neck until he went limp during an arrest in May, is charged with second and third degree murder and manslaughter.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office posted a notice of his release on Wednesday after more than four months in jail, after Chauvin was able to post the hefty bond, which came with conditions that he remain in Minneapolis until the trial.
Neither Chauvin nor his lawyer had any comment on Wednesday.
But Ben Crump, attorney for Floyd’s family, blasted his release.
“Derek Chauvin posted a $1M bail today – buying his freedom after robbing George Floyd of his life over $20,” he tweeted.
“His release on bond is a painful reminder to George’s family that we are still far from achieving justice,” he added.
The 44-year-old former Minneapolis police officer, who has since been sacked, is to face trial in March 2021 along with three other now ex-police officers over Floyd’s death, which triggered the largest US anti-racism movement since the 1960s.
The other three, Thomas Lane, Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who either stood by or participated in holding Floyd down when he was killed, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.
All three were released earlier on bail.
Floyd’s death on May 25 became a symbol of what many say is systemic racism and abuse of black Americans by police, and sparked protests across the country that continue under the banner of “Black Lives Matter” (BLM).
Prosecutors called the death, which came after Floyd was detained for allegedly using a counterfeit US$20 (RM83) bill, “vicious, brutal, and dehumanising.”
Upon news of Chauvin’s release, Gov. Tim Walz activated the National Guard to help local law enforcement. Walz said the Guard was mobilizing 100 soldiers and providing equipment and facilities “out of an abundance of caution” in light of public safety concerns. Walz said 100 state troopers and 75 Department of Natural Resources conservation officers were also mobilised to help local authorities.
As darkness fell on Wednesday, hundreds of people took to the streets in south Minneapolis.
They marched several blocks and blocked an intersection for a time, with chants including, “No Justice, No Peace - Prosecute the Police.”