Feds Continue Preparing Case Against Derek Chauvin: Reports

MINNEAPOLIS, MN —Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter relating to the 2020 death of George Floyd, is scheduled to go on trial in Minnesota March 8. But a Wednesday report by The New York Times suggests the Justice Department has accelerated its own investigation into the former cop.

According to the report, a new federal grand jury has been assembled and the DOJ has subpoenaed new witnesses in the case. The federal investigation centers specifically on Chauvin, rather than the other officers present during Floyd's death. Rather than looking for a quick indictment, it is believed the federal investigation would take center stage if Chauvin's state trial ends in an acquittal or a mistrial, according to the Times.

The federal investigation into Chauvin actually began last year, but lost momentum. The New York Times report suggests it may not be coincidental that this new development comes after the election of President Joe Biden. During the campaign, Biden said that civil rights would be a priority in his White House and that he would give new powers to the DOJ's civil rights division. The White House has said Biden has not been involved in or briefed on the DOJ's investigation into Chauvin.

According to The Star Tribune, the federal investigation into Chauvin also involves a 2017 incident in which he is accused of jamming his knee into the back of a 14-year-old boy, an act state prosecutors said was similar to the former officer's fatal encounter with Floyd. However, Judge Peter Cahill ruled evidence of that incident was inadmissible in Chauvin's upcoming state trial.

With that trial approaching, there are fears the Twin Cities could see more unrest, similar to what occurred last summer in the wake of Floyd's death. According to The New York Times, the National Guard has been activated to protect Minneapolis during the trial and law enforcement agencies from around the state will be called upon to patrol the area.

Read more via The New York Times.

Read more via The Star Tribune.