US police officer accused of killing George Floyd involved in three shootings, received 17 complaints
- Derek Chauvin was fired after video showed him kneeling on neck of black man, who said he could not breathe, for almost eight minutes
- Policeman was among group of officers who fatally shot stabbing suspect in 2006; 16 complaints against him were closed with no discipline
A white Minneapolis police officer accused of killing a black suspect by kneeling on his neck is a 19-year veteran of the force with a service record that includes three shooting incidents, one of them fatal, and nearly 20 complaints.
Derek Chauvin, 44, became the focus of angry street protests and a federal investigation after he was seen in cellphone video kneeling on the neck of 46-year-old George Floyd for almost eight minutes Monday night during his arrest on a suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill charge.
Floyd, who was heard complaining that he could not breathe, was pronounced dead later that night.
Minneapolis City Council records show that Chauvin moonlighted as a bouncer at a downtown Latin nightclub. He was among a group of six officers who opened fire on a stabbing suspect in 2006 after a chase that ended when the suspect pointed a sawed-off shotgun at them.
The suspect, Wayne Reyes, was hit multiple times and died. A grand jury decided the use of force was justified.