Two Minneapolis residents file lawsuits against ex-officer who killed Floyd
Reuters
Published May 31, 2022 06:17PM ET
By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) - Two Black Minneapolis residents on Tuesday filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, alleging he had dealt with them similarly in the past.
John Pope Jr and Zoya Code claimed racism and civil rights violations in the lawsuits, lawyers representing them told reporters. The lawsuits stem from incidents that go back to 2017.
Floyd, a Black man suspected of passing a counterfeit bill, was killed in May 2020 when Chauvin knelt on his neck as three other officers watched. The incident triggered a wave of protests over racial injustice across the world.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison last year after his conviction on murder charges. He pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he violated Floyd's civil rights.
Pope was 14 years old in 2017 when officers were called to his home for a reported domestic disturbance. Chauvin was one of the officers who responded, and he entered Pope’s bedroom, where Pope was on his cell phone and lying face down on the floor, the lawyers said on Tuesday.
"Chauvin rushed Pope and struck him multiple times on the head with a large flashlight" and "pinned Pope to the floor with his knee, the same tactic he used on George Floyd," they said.
In the case of Code, attorneys alleged Chauvin also used excessive force, adding he slammed her head on the ground and put his knee on the back of her neck.
Chauvin’s attorneys were not immediately available for comment.
Criminal charges against both Pope and Code were eventually dropped. Joining their lawyers in Tuesday's press briefing, the plaintiffs said they were left traumatized after Chauvin's actions. Their lawsuits also name the city of Minneapolis as a defendant.
"The incidents involving John Pope and Zoya Code are disturbing. We intend to move forward in negotiations with the Plaintiffs on these two matters and hope we can reach a reasonable settlement," the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office said.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.