Days after Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on the neck of George Floyd for eight minutes and killed him, Chauvin was finally arrested.
Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder, and under Minnesota law, if convicted, he faces 25 years in prison.
New evidence also shows that Chauvin had previously received 18 exessive force complaints but remained on the force. It was not until Floyd’s death that Chauvin was fired, and even then, he was not arrested until days later.
According to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, the officers who stood around and watched will also most likely face charges in the days to come. The three officers who watched have been relieved of duty.
Following Derek Chauvin’s arrest, his wife, Kellie Chauvin, filed for dissolution of marriage. Kellie Chauvin said that she in no way supports what her husband did to Floyd.
“He should be punished,” she said.
Family members told reporters that Derek Chauvin was not only an abusive cop but that he was also an abusive and controlling husband.
Statistically, women who are married to police officers are twice as likely to be physically and verbally abused. The Domestic Violence coalition said that reports from the DOJ show that domestic violence among police officers is twice the national average. Sadly, more than 50 percent of the time, officers who abuse their wives never face jail time or punishment from the agencies they work for. Namely, because women fear retaliation.
In a letter, Kellie Chauvin wrote, “My utmost sympathy lies with his family, his loved ones, and with everyone who is grieving.”
She said she is devastated by Floyd’s death.
