Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted this past June of murdering George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020, is appealing his conviction.
In a pro se filing, meaning that Chauvin is representing himself, he claims the District Court abused its discretion by denying his motion for a change of venue for the trial, a motion for a new trial and a motion to sequester the jury in the case.
He also claims the District Court failed to make a record of sidebar conferences, did not allow the defense to remove biased jurors, and permitted the state to amend its charges to include third-degree murder, among other items, according to the document filed Sept. 23.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the murder.
The case ignited racial unrest throughout the country in which more than 30 people were killed, dozens of police officers were injured, and billions of dollars' worth of damage was done.
Floyd, who was Black, tried to buy cigarettes at a store in Minneapolis in May 2020 with a counterfeit bill, and the police were called.
Officers, including Chauvin — who is white — arrived and ordered Floyd out of his vehicle and put handcuffs on him.
Floyd objected when officers tried to put him in a squad car, and eventually put him on the ground following a struggle, at which point Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck.
Witnesses took video of the confrontation with their phones as Floyd pleaded with the officers, saying he could not breathe.
One of the witnesses, Darnella Frazier, said she began filming the encounter because she saw and heard Floyd ''begging for his life.''
Floyd eventually became unresponsive and was taken to the hospital. He died on the way there.
The videos of the incident went viral and led to Chauvin and the other officers present being charged with murder.
The other officers are still awaiting trial and have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"What the sentence is not based on is emotion, or sympathy, but at the same time, I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family," Judge Peter Cahill said in issuing Chauvin’s prison term.
In his affidavit, Chauvin said he is not currently represented by counsel, and that he now has no assets to help him pay for a lawyer except for ''nominal'' inmate pay.