Derek Chauvin’s bail set at $1.25 million; Did the ex-Minneapolis cop enter a plea?

Derek Michael Chauvin, 44, of Minnesota, United States had his first court appearance on June 8, 2020. On the same day, the former Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer had his bail set at $1.25 million.

Charged with murdering George Floyd, Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and had not entered a plea. He is currently detained in the Minnesota Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota.

The former cop chose to appear by video conference from Minnesota Correctional Facility in his first court appearance, The Independent has learned. He had waived his right to appear in court in person.

Chauvin can be released at a lower bail of $1 million on the conditions that he is under supervised release and he surrender his firearms and permits. He would also be prohibited from leaving Minnesota without permission, having contact with Floyd’s family and working in law enforcement or security in that time.

When Chauvin was arrested on May 29, 2020, the bail was set for $500,000. It was increased to $1 million days prior to his first court appearance.

A Minneapolis Police Department for almost two decades, Chauvin was the training officer of former rookie cops Thomas Kiernan Lane, 37, and J Alexander Kueng, 26. They, along with another veteran Tou Thao, 34, arrested Floyd at 3759 Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.

Assisted by Kueng and Lane with Thao watching, Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. More than an hour after the violent arrest, Floyd was declared dead in the emergency room of Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Police Department fired Chauvin, Lane, Kueng and Thao on May 26, 2020. Charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony and with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence, Thao, Lane and Kueng made their respective first appearances in Hennepin County District Court in Hennepin Country, Minneapolis in front of District Court Judge Paul Scoggin on June 4, 2020.