A Minnesota police officer who was allegedly filmed kneeling on George Floyd’s neck before his death Monday was reportedly involved in at least two use-of-force incidents during his career.
Minneapolis police said Floyd, 46, was arrested Monday evening after he attempted to use forged documents at Cup Foods. Officers reportedly pulled Floyd from his car before handcuffing him and putting him on the ground.
Video posted to social media showed an officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he repeatedly says he can’t breathe. Floyd reportedly loses consciousness moments later.
Read continuing coverage on the death of George Floyd
In light of footage depicting Floyd’s arrest, the four officers involved in Monday’s incident have been fired.
While all four officers have not yet been publicly named, reports indicated that Derek Chauvin, 44, was the officer seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. The other officer filmed at the scene was identified as Tou Thao.
The Star-Tribune reported that Chauvin had been with the Minneapolis Police Department for 19 years.
In 2006, Chauvin and five officers responded to a reported stabbing which resulted in Wayne Reyes’ shooting death. Officers shot Reyes after he pulled a shotgun on them, according to the news outlet.
While responding to a domestic dispute in 2008, Chauvin allegedly shot a man in the abdomen after the man grabbed for an officer’s gun.
In 2017, Lamar Ferguson sued Thao and another Minneapolis police officer for excessive force. A lawsuit alleged that the officers randomly stopped and searched Ferguson and a pregnant woman as they walked home. Thao reportedly threw Ferguson, who was handcuffed, to the ground before the other officer kicked him.
Thao claimed they arrested Ferguson on an outstanding arrest warrant. He also said he punched Ferguson after one of Ferguson’s hands slipped out of the handcuffs, according to the Tribune.
The case was ultimately settled out of court for $25,000, the news outlet reported.
The FBI and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) are investigating Floyd’s arrest.
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[Featured image: Facebook video screengrab]
