In an unprecedented turn of events, the city of Minneapolis has reached a settlement agreement amounting to $600,000 to resolve a lawsuit brought forth by a woman. The woman accused former Officer Derek Chauvin of forcibly removing her from her minivan and restraining her on the ground with his knee in an incident dating back to January 2020. This disturbing episode bears a striking resemblance to the tragic events that unfolded four months later, leading to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Chauvin.
The plaintiff, identified as Patty Day and a former employee of the Public Works Department, alleged in a lawsuit filed last May that she had been subjected to excessive force and a wrongful arrest. She candidly admitted to being inebriated on the evening of January 17, 2020, and grappling with emotional distress due to an impending divorce and other personal challenges while being stranded in snow for several hours.
Chauvin, accompanied by his partner Officer Ellen Jensen, eventually arrived at the scene that fateful night. The lawsuit detailed that the officers aggressively pulled Day out of her vehicle and forcefully pushed her to the ground, resulting in multiple injuries. The complaint further asserted that Chauvin adopted his infamous posture by pressing his knee onto Patty’s back, even after she was restrained – reminiscent of the fatal technique used on George Floyd. Subsequently, a charge of driving under the influence was dismissed as a judge ruled the officers lacked sufficient grounds for the arrest, leading to the suppression of the blood alcohol test evidence.
The Minneapolis City Council unanimously endorsed the $600,000 settlement on Thursday. During the council session, member LaTrisha Vetaw disclosed that a sum of $175,000 would be allocated to Day, while her legal representatives would receive $425,000 from the settlement fund. With this latest settlement, the city’s payouts in police misconduct cases involving Chauvin have now exceeded $36 million, with a significant portion – $27 million – going to the Floyd family.
Expressing gratitude for the resolution, Day’s attorney, Katie Bennett, emphasized the importance of accountability for the officers’ actions. She asserted, “While no settlement can erase the suffering Patty endured, we view this agreement as a step towards holding those responsible accountable and recognizing the urgent need for justice and reform in policing.”
Chauvin, currently incarcerated at a federal prison in Texas following his state court conviction for Floyd’s murder and a federal conviction for violating Floyd’s civil rights, continues to serve his sentence. The murder of Floyd, a Black man, ignited a nationwide conversation on racial injustice and police brutality, underscoring the pressing need for transformative change within law enforcement agencies.
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