Officials say Chauvin was in negotiations for plea deal prior to arrest, charges
Officials are saying that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was arrested and charged in connection to the death of George Floyd, was in negotiations for a plea deal prior to being charged.
"There were early negotiations with the defendant, between the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney," Hennepin County Attorney spokesperson Chuck Laszewski said.
Laszewski said those negotiations failed.
Chauvin’s current attorney, Eric Nelson, declined to comment. His former attorney, Tom Kelly, declined to comment on the case.
Video footage of the fatal Memorial Day arrest shows the former officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.
Chauvin, who was fired from the Minneapolis Police Department, was later arrested and charged on May 29.
The former officer has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.