Former Minneapolis Police Officer, Derek Chauvin has on Wednesday pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating George Floyd’s constitutional rights when he murdered the Black man in the summer of 2020, after previously pleading not guilty.
Chauvin, who was found guilty of murder in state court in April, signed the plea agreement and changed his plea to guilty in U.S. federal court in St. Paul on Wednesday morning, according to reporters in the courtroom.
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When asked by federal prosecutors if he willfully deprived Floyd of his constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizures, Chauvin answered, “Correct,” local news station WCCO reports.
As part of the agreement, Chauvin will never be allowed to work as a law enforcement officer again; will have to pay an undisclosed amount of restitution; and will disclose his assets, according to WCCO.
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Chauvin also faced a separate federal indictment accusing him of holding a teenager down in a similar manner to Floyd in 2017, which will be dismissed as part of the agreement.
Prosecutors said they would ask a judge for a 25-year prison sentence for Chauvin as part of the agreement, which would run concurrently to his state sentence—adding about two-and-a-half years to his sentence, according to the New York Times.
A federal judge will decide Chauvin’s sentence as part of the plea deal at a later hearing, following a pre-sentencing report.
Floyd’s murder sparked nationwide protests in the summer of 2020 after a video posted online showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, despite Floyd’s repeated pleas that he couldn’t breathe.
Chauvin is currently serving a 22 and a half year sentence in state prison. He has appealed his conviction.
Chauvin’s change of plea Wednesday came days after he filed to have the hearing Monday, and months after reports he was finalizing a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
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The plea deal reportedly would require him to publicly address Floyd’s death for the first time, though prosecutors did not confirm this at the hearing.
Three other former officers involved in Floyd’s arrest are also facing state and federal charges.
Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao are set to be tried on federal civil rights charges in January, and face a state trial in March on charges of aiding and abetting. There has been no indication they are also considering a plea deal.
