MINNEAPOLIS — Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, a move that led to the man’s death on May 25, was given permission to leave Minnesota and live in any of the four bordering states, officials said Friday.
Judge Peter Cahill signed an order changing the conditions of Chauvin’s bail on Thursday, KARE-TV reported. Chauvin posted conditional bail of $1 million on Wednesday and was released from custody, the television station reported. Cahill modified Chauvin’s release conditions, citing unspecified safety concerns, the Star-Tribune of Minneapolis reported.
Initially, the conditions of Chavun’s release barred him from leaving the state.
Cahill’s order was made public Friday morning. According to the terms of the order, Chauvin will be listed as having no permanent address, but may reside in an adjoining state to Minnesota as long as he keeps a cellphone with him “at all times” and stays in touch with the Department of Corrections, the Star-Tribune reported.
The order said Chauvin’s whereabouts would be restricted on a “need-to-know basis,” the newspaper reported.
Chauvin, whose wife has filed for divorce after Floyd’s death, has relatives in Iowa.
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Minnesota Attorney General’s Office spokesperson John Stiles said the office agreed to the new conditions, KARE reported.
“We are confident that (Chauvin) will abide by all the conditions of his release that the court set and he will attend all hearing and the trial,” Stiles told the television station.
Benjamin Crump, the attorney representing Floyd’s family, released a statement Friday criticizing the order.
“The fact that Derek Chauvin is being given special treatment out of concern for his safety demonstrates how stark the contrast is between the two justice systems in America,” Crump said in the statement. “Can you imagine a Black man awaiting trial for murder being allowed to leave the state out of concern for his safety?”
NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump released a statement about Derek Chauvin’s release conditions. Police were NOT concerned about #GeorgeFloyd’s safety when he was on the ground with Chauvin’s knee on his neck. This is a prime example of the two justice systems in America. pic.twitter.com/B8yOGHP6jn— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) October 9, 2020
