Minneapolis Settles With Woman Who Says Derek Chauvin Knelt on Her Back
The New York Times
The $600,000 settlement is the latest in a series of lawsuits alleging excessive force by Mr. Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.
The city of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit by a woman who accused Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, of kneeling on her back, four months before he killed George Floyd using a similar restraint.
The settlement, unanimously approved by the Minneapolis City Council on Thursday, is the latest in a series of agreements the city has reached to resolve cases involving allegations of excessive force used by Mr. Chauvin in the years before Mr. Floyd was murdered.
The lawsuit brought by the woman, Patricia Day, was filed in federal court in May. In it, she claimed that during a traffic stop in January 2020, Mr. Chauvin and another officer hauled out of her minivan and threw her to the ground.
Mr. Chauvin then pressed his knee into her back while she was handcuffed and not resisting, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit described the kneeling maneuver, which Mr. Chauvin would later use on Mr. Floyd by kneeling on his neck, as the former officer’s “signature pose” and “calling card.”
The officers were responding to a 911 call saying that Ms. Day was intoxicated and was attempting to drive off, a characterization that she disputes.
