Black Minneapolis residents file excessive force lawsuit against Derek Chauvin News
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Black Minneapolis residents file excessive force lawsuit against Derek Chauvin

Two lawsuits were filed by Black Minneapolis residents on Tuesday against Derek Chauvin, several other officers and the City of Minneapolis alleging that Chauvin used excessive force during their encounters with him.

Zoya Code and John Pope both allege that Chauvin used tactics similar to those that got him convicted for killing George Floyd. In both complaints Code and Pope describe that Chauvin handcuffed the plaintiffs and place his knee on their necks.

Both incidents happened in 2017, in which police were called regarding domestic disputes.

In Code’s case, her mother called the police alleging that Code “a had assaulted her and strangled her with an extension cord.” By the time Chauvin had arrived, Code had left but later returned. According to the complaint, Chauvin and Officer Ross Blair, who is also named in the complaint, then handcuffed her and took her to the ground. The complaint further claims that Code was not a threat and “significantly smaller” than Chauvin and Blair. Once handcuffed Code was moved outside the residence where Chauvin allegedly slammed her on the ground and placed his knee on her neck.

In Pope’s case, who was 14 at the time of the incident, Chauvin responded to a domestic disturbance at Pope’s home. Pope’s complaint said he did not threaten or pose a threat to the officers, nor did he attempt to flee. Chauvin allegedly hit Pope with his flashlight twice and put him in a chokehold. Pope says officers then forced him on the ground where Chauvin knelt on his neck.

The Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office said in a statement “The incidents involving John Pope and Zoya Code are disturbing. We intend to move forward in negotiations with the Plaintiffs on these two matters and hope we can reach a reasonable settlement.”

Screenshots from the bodycam footage of Chauvin’s encounter with Code is in the complaint. Chauvin pled guilty to federal civil right charges for the incident with Pope, which is why the bodycam footage from that case has not been released.

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