According to some new sources, ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with the second-degree murder of George Floyd, was in the process of negotiating a plea deal with federal and state prosecutors prior to his arrest.
Sources close to the situation say the deal was intended to be a “universal deal” that included state murder charges in addition to federal civil rights charges. Negotiations for the deal delayed a May 28th FBI press conference by two hours. During the delayed press conference, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald shared, “I thought we would have another development to talk to you about, but we don’t.”
The deal, which ultimately fell through, likely would have required Chauvin to plead guilty.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed a deal with Chauvin in the works, but the negotiations ultimately failed. "There were early negotiations with the defendant (Derek Chauvin), between the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Attorney,” said Hennepin County Attorney spokesperson Chuck Laszewski. Details as to why the deal fell through, the actual terms of the deal, and who walked away from it are all still unclear at this time.
The next day, Friday, May 29th, Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder by the Hennepin County Attorney. The charges have since been bumped to second-degree murder, and the three other officers involved are also facing charges.