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The former Minneapolis police officer accused of George Floyd’s murder was released from prison after posting bail.
Derek Chauvin, 44, was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights on Wednesday morning, the Department of Corrections confirmed.
The former cop was released after posting a $ 1 million non-cash bond signed by A-Affordable Bail Bonds, Inc, online court records show.
Chauvin had been detained in the maximum security prison since May 31 after video showed him pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes shortly before his death.
He is charged with murder in the second and third degree, as well as murder in the second degree. His bond was initially set at $ 1.25 million or $ 1 million with conditions.
Fired Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin (left) was released from prison Wednesday after posting a non-cash bond
Chauvin was charged with murder and manslaughter in May after viral footage showed him pressing his knee against George Floyd’s neck shortly before he died.
Court records show that Chauvin was released after posting a $ 1 million non-cash bond, guaranteed by the Allegheny Casualty Company.
A release receipt posted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office showed that Chauvin was released at 11:22 a.m.
Under the conditions of his release, he must attend all court appearances and may not have any direct or indirect contact, including social media, with any member of Floyd’s family.
You are also not allowed to work in law enforcement or security, and you must not possess ammunition for firearms.
Floyd’s death was captured in widely viewed bystander video that sparked protests against police brutality and racial injustice around the world.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on May 25 while being arrested for using a counterfeit $ 20 bill at a local Minneapolis deli.
In the photo (from left to right): Former officers Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao in their mugshots. The other three policemen have been accused of complicity
Chauvin made his first in-person appearance (pictured) in court last month after previously appearing via video link.
Chauvin appeared in court for the first time on September 11, 2020 in Minneapolis. She is awaiting trial set for March 8.
Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, causing Floyd to pass out, while three other responding officers stayed by the side.
All four officers were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department after footage of the fatal confrontation went viral.
Former officers Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao have been charged with complicity.
The three officers previously posted a $ 750,000 bond and have been free pending trial.
The four men are currently scheduled to face trial together on March 8, but the judge is weighing a request for them to be tried separately.
Chauvin made his first in-person court appearance last month after previously appearing via video link.
Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, mask and handcuffs, prison officers took him away after the three-hour hearing, while protesters near the courthouse yelled insults at him.
During the hearing, the judge presiding over the case removed the local prosecutor from the murder trial, accusing him and his team of ‘sloppy’ work.
Floyd’s death was captured in widely viewed bystander video that sparked protests against police brutality and racial injustice around the world.
National protests overtook the United States this summer after George Floyd was killed in police custody on Memorial Day.
Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman was removed from the case along with the other three members of his team.
Judge Peter Cahill said Freeman acted in error by sending his staff to speak with medical examiners after Floyd’s death, without having independent witnesses to their discussion.
“It was careless not having someone present,” Cahill said. Those four attorneys are off the case. Now they are witnesses.
The coroner’s verdict is expected to play a key and highly controversial role in the trial.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office said Floyd experienced cardiopulmonary arrest while immobilized by the officer.
His autopsy said that Floyd had “other significant conditions” including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, in addition to “fentanyl poisoning”; [and] recent use of methamphetamine.
An independent autopsy performed by Dr. Allecia Wilson and Dr. Michael Baden, commissioned by the family, said he died as a direct result of the manner in which he was arrested.
