Days after the gruesome death of George Floyd under the hands of ex-Officer Derek Chauvin, new developments about their connection is coming to light.
Floyd and Chauvin knew each other
According to the new details obtained by CBS News from a nightclub coworker of Chauvin and Floyd, the two had bad blood. Both Chauvin and Floyd worked security at the same nightclub years ago and had a history of not getting along.
David Pinney, the coworker of Floyd and Chavin at the nightclub where they worked at the same time, said that the two bumped heads frequently. Pinney said that Chauvin is known to be very aggressive in the club with some of the customers, and it became an issue.
The family of George Floyd now believes that what Chauvin did to Floyd was personal. Their lawyer has called for the ex-officer to be charged with first-degree murder because he knew who Floyd was. Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder until it was changed to second-degree murder last week.
CBS News asked Pinney if there was any doubt that Chauvin knew Floyd, in which Pinney answered that he was sure Chauvin knew him.
The owner of the club, Maya Santamaria, said that Chauvin treated black patrons unfairly. Santamaria had been paying Chauvin to sit in his car outside the club, El Nuevo Rodeo, for the past 17 years. Chauvin did it as a sideline when he was off-duty.
The owner also said that Floyd worked as a security guard inside the club in 2019, and both Chauvin and Floyd worked on Tuesday nights because that is when the club had a weekly dance competition. Santamaria said that she thinks Chauvin is afraid and intimidated by black people.
As the investigation continues about Floyd's death, numerous cities across the United States are considering police reforms.
Defunding the police
On June 9, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he would support police reform measures in New York, including banning chokeholds as a tactic of the police officers to restrain an arrested civilian.
Gov. Cuomo said that it is a moment to do reform and real change in the police force. In Minneapolis, city officials are now discussing defunding or dismantling the police department after a series of complaints regarding police brutality.
What happened in the state has sparked a worldwide protest that is demanding law enforcement to be held accountable for their excessive use of force. If the police force is defunded, the budge will be invested in education and low-income housing.
In 2019 alone, the police department had a budget of $6 billion, which is 10 times more than the budget allotted to education, mental health campaigns, and low-income housing.
Derek Chauvin has become the world's most despised man after a video of him kneeling on the neck of George Floyd surfaced online.
The gruesome video also showed how Floyd begged Chauvin to let him go, but Chauvin refused to move. He knelt on his neck for almost 9 minutes until an ambulance arrived. The incident has opened talks about the racism in America, police brutality, and the priorities of the government.
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