The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd pleaded not guilty to a civil rights violation Thursday in federal court.
Derek Chauvin was indicted for a 2017 civil rights violation against a 14-year-old boy, according to The Associated Press (AP). Chauvin is accused of using a restraint similar to the one he used against Floyd on the teenager.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer recorded kneeling down on the neck of George Floyd for nearly nine minutes, will be arraigned for a separate 2017 confrontation with a 14-year-old boy, who he restrained in a similar manner.https://t.co/zeIHszHCfR
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 16, 2021
The indictment alleges Chauvin held the teenage boy by the throat, hit him in the head with his flashlight, and held his knee on the boy’s neck all while the boy was not resisting, according to AP. (RELATED: Former Cop Charged In George Floyd’s Death Reportedly Eligible For Over $1 Million In Pension Benefits Even If Convicted)
Chauvin wrote in a police report from the encounter that the 6-foot-2-inch, 240-pound 14-year-old resisted arrest, reported AP. The teenage boy reportedly needed two stitches after the encounter.
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter April 20 in the death of Floyd. He was later sentenced to 22.5 years in prison June 23.
George Floyd’s death in May 2020 led to protests against police across the nation.