Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Derek Chauvin

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 14, 2025

Public opinion and media debates around Derek Chauvin—discover key moments of controversy.

Derek Chauvin is a former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd on May 25, 2020. His actions, captured on video, sparked global protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, leading to Floyd's death. He was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was sentenced to over 20 years in prison for the murder and also faced federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights. The case became a pivotal moment in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

October 29, 2006: Involvement in the shooting of Wayne Reyes

On October 29, 2006, Derek Chauvin was among a group of six officers who opened fire on Wayne Reyes, shooting 43 rounds in four seconds, resulting in Reyes's death. The incident occurred after police responded to a report that Reyes had stabbed his girlfriend and a friend before fleeing in his truck.

May 24, 2008: Domestic violence call involving Ira Latrell Toles

On May 24, 2008, Derek Chauvin responded to a domestic violence call involving Ira Latrell Toles. Chauvin forced his way into a bathroom where Toles was locked, attempted to hit him with his gun, and then shot Toles twice in the stomach, according to police reports.

August 8, 2011: Involvement in the shooting of Leroy Martinez

On August 8, 2011, Derek Chauvin was involved in the shooting of 23-year-old Leroy Martinez. Fellow officer Terry Nutter shot Martinez in the torso, but eyewitness accounts contradicted the police claim that Martinez was armed, saying that Martinez had dropped his gun before being shot.

2014: Start of tax evasion period

In 2014, Derek Chauvin and his wife began allegedly under-reporting their joint income, which led to tax evasion charges in 2020.

September 4, 2017: Incident involving a 14-year-old Black boy

On September 4, 2017, Derek Chauvin was among officers responding to a complaint and was said to have hit a 14-year-old Black boy in the head with a flashlight, requiring stitches, then held him down with his knee for nearly 17 minutes, ignoring the boy's complaints that he could not breathe.

September 2017: Incident with 14-year-old boy

In September 2017, Derek Chauvin restrained a 14-year-old boy for several minutes, using his knee to lean into the boy's back and hitting him with a flashlight several times. During the restraint, Chauvin ignored the boy's pleas that he could not breathe and the boy briefly lost consciousness.

2017: Knee into the necks of Black residents

In 2017, Derek Chauvin reportedly "pressed his knee into their necks" of Zoya Code and John Pope Jr, the same tactic that killed Floyd in 2020.

2017: Incident with 14-year-old boy

In 2017, Derek Chauvin was involved in an incident where he held a 14-year-old boy by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight, and knelt on the upper back of the boy who was prone, handcuffed, and not resisting.

2018: BMW Purchase

In 2018, Derek Chauvin allegedly failed to pay proper sales tax on a $100,000 BMW purchased in Minnesota.

2019: End of tax evasion period

2019 marks the end of the period during which Derek Chauvin and his wife allegedly committed tax evasion, leading to charges in 2020.

January 2020: Drunk driving arrest lawsuit

In January 2020, Chauvin and another MPD officer were accused of throwing a former City of Minneapolis employee to the ground and restraining her with a knee during a drunk driving arrest.

May 25, 2020: George Floyd's murder

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. During the arrest, Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for approximately nine minutes, leading to Floyd's death and sparking widespread protests.

May 28, 2020: Press conference by prosecutors

On May 28, 2020, state and federal prosecutors held a press conference to announce developments in the case against the officers involved in George Floyd's murder but indicated that more time was needed to review the case.

May 29, 2020: Chauvin's arrest and initial charges

On May 29, 2020, Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. This made him the first White police officer in Minnesota to be charged in the death of a Black civilian.

June 2020: Discrimination complaint filed

In June 2020, eight correctional officers filed a discrimination complaint alleging that non-White guards were not allowed to work on the fifth floor where Derek Chauvin was being held and that a White lieutenant sat on Chauvin's bed and allowed him to use her cellphone.

July 22, 2020: Tax evasion charges filed

On July 22, 2020, Derek Chauvin and his wife Kellie were separately charged in Washington County, Minnesota, with nine counts of felony tax evasion related to allegedly fraudulent state income tax returns from 2014 to 2019.

October 7, 2020: Chauvin's release on conditional bail

On October 7, 2020, Derek Chauvin was released on conditional bail after posting a bond of $1 million, pending further legal proceedings.

October 22, 2020: Dismissal of third-degree murder charge

On October 22, 2020, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill dismissed the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin but denied Chauvin's motion to dismiss the other, more serious murder charges.

November 5, 2020: Initial ruling for joint trial

On November 5, 2020, Judge Cahill ruled that Derek Chauvin and all three of the other officers charged in connection to George Floyd's death would be tried together in Hennepin County.

2020: Incarceration at Oak Park Heights prison

Following his 2020 arrest, Derek Chauvin was booked into the Oak Park Heights prison, where he was held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day in an isolated wing under constant watch.

2020: Knee into the necks of Black residents

In 2020, Derek Chauvin reportedly "pressed his knee into their necks" of Zoya Code and John Pope Jr, the same tactic that killed Floyd in 2020.

2020: Federal investigation of 2020 incident

In 2020, Derek Chauvin was under federal investigation for civil rights violations related to the murder of George Floyd.

January 13, 2021: Reversal of joint trial ruling

On January 13, 2021, Judge Cahill reversed his earlier ruling and decided that Derek Chauvin would be tried separately from the other three officers charged in the death of George Floyd.

February 2021: DOJ convenes grand jury

In February 2021, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) convened a grand jury to investigate whether Derek Chauvin violated George Floyd's civil rights, as well as another incident in September 2017.

February 2021: Legal action pursued in discrimination case

In February 2021, the group of correctional officers who had filed a discrimination complaint pursued legal action, filing discrimination charges with the state Department of Human Rights.

March 8, 2021: Start of Chauvin's trial

On March 8, 2021, Derek Chauvin's trial began at the Hennepin County Government Center. It marked the first time that a judge in Minnesota authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial.

March 11, 2021: Reinstatement of third-degree murder charge

On March 11, 2021, Judge Cahill reinstated the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, adding another count to the charges he faced.

April 20, 2021: Guilty verdict in Chauvin's trial

On April 20, 2021, a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts: unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was the first White Minnesotan police officer to be convicted of murdering a Black person.

May 7, 2021: Indictment for civil rights violations

On May 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Derek Chauvin, along with his three co-officers, for constitutional civil rights violations for their involvement in the murder of George Floyd. On the same day, May 7, 2021, Chauvin was indicted by the same grand jury for violating the civil rights of the 14-year-old boy he arrested in the September 2017 incident.

May 12, 2021: Allowance to seek a greater prison sentence

On May 12, 2021, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill allowed the prosecution to seek a greater prison sentence for Derek Chauvin after finding that Chauvin treated Floyd "with particular cruelty".

June 25, 2021: Chauvin's sentencing hearing

Derek Chauvin was held at Oak Park Heights until his sentencing hearing on June 25, 2021.

August 23, 2021: Original Date of State Court Trial

August 23, 2021, was the original date set for the state court trial for the three other officers involved in the murder of George Floyd, before it was pushed back to March 7, 2022 due to federal indictments.

September 8, 2021: First court appearance for tax evasion case

On September 8, 2021, Derek Chauvin first appeared in Washington County District Court for his tax-evasion case.

September 16, 2021: Chauvin pleads not guilty

On September 16, 2021, Derek Chauvin pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the 2017 incident indictment.

December 15, 2021: Chauvin pleads guilty to federal charges

On December 15, 2021, Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges of violating the rights of George Floyd and to violating the rights of the 14-year-old boy in the 2017 incident.

2021: Chauvin's Trial and Conviction

In early 2021, Derek Chauvin was tried for unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was convicted on all charges and sentenced to 22+1⁄2 years in prison, marking a significant outcome in the case.

January 21, 2022: Pre-trial hearing scheduled

On January 21, 2022, the pre-trial hearing for Derek Chauvin's tax evasion case was scheduled.

March 7, 2022: State court trial pushed back

Due to the federal indictments, on March 7, 2022, the state court trial for the three other officers was pushed back from August 23, 2021.

April 2022: Appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals

In April 2022, Chauvin appealed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, asking the court to reverse his conviction and order a new trial, claiming that the jury of the case in the state had been "intimidated by excessive pre-trial publicity".

May 4, 2022: Plea deal accepted

On May 4, 2022, the judge presiding over the federal case accepted the plea deal, paving the way for a sentence of between 20 and 25 years in prison, to be served concurrently with his state sentence.

July 7, 2022: Chauvin sentenced to 21 years

On July 7, 2022, Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on the charges of violating the civil rights of George Floyd and the boy.

March 17, 2023: Chauvin pleads guilty to tax evasion

On March 17, 2023, Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to 13 months in prison, to run concurrently with his murder sentence with credit given for time already served.

April 2023: Affirmation of conviction by Court of Appeals

In April 2023, a three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a 50-page decision affirming Derek Chauvin's conviction.

July 2023: Denial of review by Minnesota Supreme Court

In July 2023, the Minnesota Supreme Court denied Derek Chauvin's request to review his case, upholding the decision of the Court of Appeals.

November 2023: Motion to vacate civil rights conviction

In mid-November 2023, Derek Chauvin filed a motion in federal court attempting to vacate the civil rights conviction.

November 16, 2023: Chauvin's interview from prison

On November 16, 2023, Derek Chauvin's interview from prison for a documentary by Alpha News was released, in which he stated that "the whole trial including sentencing was a sham."

November 20, 2023: Supreme Court declines to hear Chauvin's case

On November 20, 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear Derek Chauvin's case, leaving in place the state court rulings that affirmed his conviction and sentence of 22+1⁄2 years in prison.

2023: Settlement over knee restraint lawsuits

In 2023, the City of Minneapolis agreed to pay almost $9 million to settle lawsuits brought against Chauvin by Zoya Code and John Pope Jr. for pressing his knee into their necks.

May 2024: Lawsuit filed against Chauvin

In May 2024, a former City of Minneapolis employee filed a lawsuit against Chauvin and another MPD officer for throwing her to the ground during a January 2020 drunk driving arrest.

December 2024: Court accepts Chauvin's demand for tissue testing

In December 2024, a US District court accepted Derek Chauvin's demand to have George Floyd's tissue remains tested again to check for alternative causes of death.