As ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin faces murder charges for the death of George Floyd, the Floyd family has vowed to ensure the disgraced cop is held accountable to the highest degree.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the family of the late father, revealed that a civil suit will be filed against Chauvin in efforts to do just that. Chauvin is the officer who can be seen holding his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes in a video of the killing.
Appearing on CNN, Crump said the family “intends on holding Derek Chauvin fully accountable in every aspect, criminal and civil.”
READ MORE: Derek Chauvin being closely monitored in jail following murder charge
Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as he was handcuffed and held down by two other Minneapolis officers during an arrest on May 25. Chauvin was initially charged with third degree murder, which was later increased to second degree murder by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Crump said that the Minneapolis Police Department as an institution was just as responsible for Floyd’s death as Chauvin.
READ MORE: George Floyd and Derek Chauvin reportedly ‘bumped heads’ while working at nightclub
“It wasn’t just the knee of Derek Chauvin that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, it was the knee of the entire police department,” Crump stated. “Because when you have that kind of culture and behavior of a police department, it is foreseeable that something like this is going to happen.”
Floyd and Chauvin are said to have crossed paths in the past. A former nightclub worker, David Penney, says the two were often “bumping heads,” due to Chauvin’s being “extremely aggressive” with some patrons.
The amount that the Floyd family intends to sue for is unclear. Despite being fired and charged for second degree murder, Chauvin is still eligible for his pension. He could potentially receive a total of $1.5 million as part of his package, should he formally file for retirement once he turns 55.
He also faces a manslaughter charge.