Protesters at officer’s Orlando-area home cry out for justice
Though local authorities had stressed that he wasn’t in Central Florida — and even after news emerged that he’d been arrested for murder in Minnesota — protesters flowed Friday to a townhouse near Windermere owned by the now-infamous ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The reason, the protesters said, was solidarity — to do something more than share their outrage in posts on social media. They came to be seen and stand in support of George Floyd, the man whose neck Chauvin compressed with his knee for several minutes of agony captured on video.
Candace Hopkins came from downtown Orlando with her son, 25-year-old Orion Clark, to stand outside Chauvin’s home in a community off Winter Garden Vineland Road.
“I just felt, me being part of something, being able to confront that type of evil … I just feel a lot better,” said Hopkins, 48, adding she was glad the protest remained peaceful Friday afternoon. She said she would intervene if it turned otherwise.
Hopkins said she and her son also demonstrated in Sanford after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, which gave rise to the national Black Lives Matter movement. Many protesters
present Friday also cited that 2012 case as another reason they came out in support of justice for Floyd.
“It keeps happening. … I’m tired of it,” said 18-year-old Arianna Delic, who stood across the street from Chauvin’s home holding a “Justice for George Floyd” sign. “It’s sickening.”
As the demonstration near Windermere continued to grow, in Minnesota, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Friday afternoon that Chauvin had been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
But the Central Florida protesters noted three of Chauvin’s former colleagues, who were also involved in Floyd’s arrest, remained free.
“No justice, no peace,” they chanted. “We’re not stopping — ever.”
‘Everything has been peaceful’
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Friday his deputies leaned about Chauvin’s home near Windermere the same way many protesters did, through chatter on social media. He said there have been two 911 calls to the home about suspicious activity this week.
He said deputies reached out to Chauvin’s family, who said they were not at the home and not planning to travel there. Mina described it as a vacation home. The sheriff said deputies are monitoring the situation but expect people to remain peaceful, based on past protests in Central Florida.
“Everything has been peaceful so far and we’re proud of our community for that,” he said. “… We understand that people in Minneapolis, people across the nation and people here in our community are hurting.”
Deputies will intervene if people become violent or start destroying property, Mina said.
No one answered a knock at the door of Chauvin’s home Friday morning. The block was relatively quiet early, other than a few passing motorists and Sheriff’s Office patrol cars, before protesters began arriving about 10 a.m. with cardboard signs that said “Justice 4 George.”
By late afternoon, more than 200 had gathered, with dozens of deputies surrounding the block.
Hannah Mavres, 17, said she wanted to come out to make sure people realize that what happened in Minneapolis is not OK. Hannah came to the protest from Winter Springs with her friend, 17-year-old Taylor Dimuzio, who held a sign that read: “He said I can’t breathe.”
“I’m tired of just posting on social media,” she said.
At one point, a man starting banging forcefully on the door of the Chauvins’ townhouse, prompting a neighbor to emerge and say no one was there. But the protest remained peaceful, and those demonstrating stressed that they intended for it to remain that way.
Jake Uttich stood much of the morning staring silently at Chauvin’s townhouse, holding a sign that read “Black Lives Matter.” He drove from Oviedo to stand in solidarity with others demanding justice for Floyd.
“You can only retweet things so many times,” said Uttich, 23.
He said even though Chauvin wasn’t at the home, it sickened him that he wasn’t immediately arrested.
“It’s wrong that he even has the option to come down here,” Uttich said.
In the evening, Orange County sheriff’s deputies on bicycles and wearing helmets lined up along the sidewalk in front of the home as protesters yelled “Black lives matter, George’s life mattered.”
Sisters Dinelle and Miranda Hardin said they attended the protest in memory of their brother, 49-year-old Ronald Greene, whom they said died after a violent encounter with the police in Louisiana last May.
Media reports said Greene led deputies on a high-speed chase that ended after a crash. He struggled with deputies and later died.
Dinelle Hardin did not want to elaborate on the circumstances of his death pending an upcoming court case but said her brother had injuries suggesting he was forcefully pinned on the ground.
“He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Miranda Hardin said.
The sisters said the similarity between George Floyd’s death and their brother’s drew them to the protest.
“Once it hits home, your whole perspective changes,” Dinelle Hardin said.
Protesters: Chauvin a ‘murderer’
Chauvin, 44, has been the focus of street protests, violence and looting in Minnesota after he was seen in cell phone video forcing Floyd against the ground for almost eight minutes Monday night.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was being arrested under suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill. He could be heard pleading to the white officer that he could not breathe and was pronounced dead later that night.
Chauvin, whose driveway in Minnesota was tagged with graffiti that said “murderer,” has not spoken publicly since Floyd’s death. His attorney did not respond to calls from the Associated Press seeking comment. He and the other three officers were fired Tuesday.
On Friday, a protester scrawled “murderer” and “justice for George Floyd” in chalk on the sidewalk outside Chauvin’s home near Windermere. Demonlives. strators also drew in chalk and splashed paint on the exterior walls and painted “racist” on the sidewalk.
Neighbors said protesters first gathered there late Thursday.
“Last night was a mess,” one neighbor said Friday morning. He asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.
The man said he walked his dog about 10:30 p.m. Thursday and the neighborhood was quiet.
“An hour later all hell broke loose,” the neighbor said.
He said he remained inside, but dozens of people — he estimated about 50 — were running up and down the block, yelling, while cars circled the street, honking horns. He said they were there until about 3:30 a.m.
At first, he said he didn’t realize what was happening, but then he checked Twitter and found their block was trending. Some users claimed Chauvin was hiding out in the neighborhood. The neighbor said he didn’t think Chauvin was there, as he hadn’t seen any movement or coming and going.
Derek Chauvin and his wife are listed in property records as the owners of the three-bedroom, two-and-ahalf bath townhome where protesters have gathered. Records list the mailing address for the home’s owner as a P.O. box in St. Paul, near where Chauvin reportedly
Records show the Chauvins bought the house in 2011, the year after it was built, for $210,900. It was assessed at $226,282 as of last year. The address has been shared countless times on social media.
“That is Derek Chauvin’s address,” wrote one Twitter user. “Don’t let that man eat. Don’t let that man sleep.”
Others claimed, without evidence, that Chauvin had fled to the house. On Twitter and other forums, users discussed staging demonstrations or protests at the house.
Anti-racism protesters also flooded the Zillow.com listing for the home with images of the Black Lives Matter movement, Floyd and the now-infamous image of Chauvin with his knee to Floyd’s neck.
Jeff Lehman was checking early Friday on his parents’ home, next door to the Chauvin’s, when he asked why people were gathered on the street. He was surprised to learn who owned the adjacent home.
“Never expect it right next door,” Lehman said. “It’s a bit of a shock.”
He said he’d been following the news in Minneapolis and condemned the officer’s actions. Lehman said he didn’t know Derek Chauvin but had met his wife once. They kept to themselves, he said.
Union, sheriff decry Floyd video
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said there had been no calls for service at the Chauvins’ address since they bought the home in 2011 — until Thursday, when two were received. One was coded as a suspicious incident, the other as a general investigation. Neither prompted reports.
There were “several” calls Friday morning, the agency said, adding it has a presence in the area.
Mina called Chauvin’s actions unlawful and said the video that captured the incident was upsetting.
“To see something like that from someone who is now a former part of our profession do that and to see that person handcuffed in a proned-out position handcuffed with a knee on top of their neck is disturbing,” Mina said.
Andrew Darling, who is running against Mina for sheriff in the upcoming Democratic primary, arrived at the protest near Windermere in the afternoon. He said he was there to show the community his support, stressing that law enforcement across the country needs to reform, including in Orange County.
“The time for change is now,” Darling said.
As Sheriff’s Office vehicles continued to drive by, the protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police.” They marched through the streets chanting and waving signs.
“Say his name, George Floyd,” they said.
Miles Mulrain, an Orlando activist, led most of the chants and marching on Friday, and repeatedly called on people to extend their interest and activism beyond just Friday.
“You need to wake up with the same kind of passion when it’s time to go to those review boards, those meetings, … when it’s time to vote especially,” Miles said to the crowd. “This ain’t gonna change nothing in the history books unless we follow through with it.”
Mina also made an appearance at the demonstration, stressing his disapproval for the actions of the Minneapolis officers.
“The only reason that we are here is to let you peacefully protest,” Mina said.
Jeff Stinson, president of the Orange County Sheriff ’s Office union, sent a strongly worded letter to members condemning the actions of the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest.
“Let me be very clear on this subject, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin,” Stinson wrote. “I have 16 years of experience in law enforcement and can say unequivocally that the video of George Floyd’s death was agonizing, painful and very difficult to watch.”
Stinson wrote officers must constantly evaluate and adjust the level of force based on the current situation and Chauvin was using deadly force “long past any resistance.”
“We can never forget what happened to Mr. Floyd and pray that it will never happen in our profession again,” he wrote.