The former Minneapolis police officer who was charged with murder in the case of George Floyd had his bail set for $1.25 million.
Judge Jeannice Reding granted the prosecutor’s motion to set unconditional bail at $1.25 million, or $1 million with conditions, for Derek Chauvin at the Hennepin County courthouse on Monday, two weeks after Floyd’s death.
The 44-year-old, who was charged with second-degree murder, participated via a video feed from jail. According to Minnesota law, a guilty verdict in a second-degree murder charge has a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, 15 more years than the maximum sentence for third-degree murder, which is what Chauvin was originally charged with last week. Chauvin has also been charged with second-degree manslaughter.
His next appearance is set for June 29.
Chauvin, who is white, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, pinning him to the ground for nearly nine minutes after police responded to a call about a fake $20 bill. Bystander video showed Floyd, who is black, pleading for air and losing consciousness. He was later proclaimed dead at a hospital.
An independent autopsy concluded that Floyd’s death was “homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain,” according to a statement from the family’s lawyer.
The judgment differed from the Hennepin County medical examiner’s preliminary autopsy. The county autopsy, which the Floyd family rejected, found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.” The medical examiner later concluded that Floyd suffered a heart attack during his arrest and that his manner of death was a homicide.
The three other officers who were involved in detaining Floyd were also fired and charged with aiding and abetting murder. The bail for them has been set at at least $750,000.
Protests have popped up across the country over the last two weeks following the death of Floyd.
