Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights

(Image credit: Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images)

published 15 December 2021

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted for the murder of George Floyd, has now also pleaded guilty to violating Floyd's civil rights.

Chauvin on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the federal charges, changing his previous plea of not guilty, NBC News reports.

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In May, Chauvin was indicted on charges that he violated Floyd's constitutional right "to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer." Three other former officers who were at the scene of Floyd's arrest were also indicted, and they have pleaded not guilty. Chauvin was separately charged with holding a teenager "by the throat and [striking] the teenager multiple times in the head with a flashlight," and he admitted guilt in that case on Wednesday, per NBC News.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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