In light of new information that Derek Chauvin was a co-worker of George Floyd's at a nightclub and may have personally known the man he killed, the Floyd family attorney is calling for new first-degree murder charges against the fired cop who held his knee on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes.
Chauvin, who has so far been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, worked off duty for almost 17 years at El Nuevo Rodeo, just down the street from Minneapolis's Third Precinct. Coincidentally, the club's former owner told CNN, Floyd would work as extra security on Tuesdays, which were a popular music night.
Though the owner didn't exactly characterize Chauvin and Floyd as friendly with each other, or even as acquaintances, Maya Santamaria did say, "We all worked together certain nights and they would have crossed paths."
Appearing on the CBS program "Face the Nation" on Sunday, attorney Benjamin Crump expressed hope that these details could lead to more severe charges against Chauvin.
"They had to overlap," Crump said. "And so that is going to be an interesting aspect to this case and hopefully upgrading these charges to first-degree murder because we believe he knew who George Floyd was."
Under Minnesota law, third-degree murder requires that the defendant cause another's death while acting "without regard for human life," but it does not require any intent to kill. First-degree murder, on the other hand, is defined as an intentional, planned act from the defendant.
Currently, Chauvin is facing up to 25 years in prison for the murder charge and 10 years for manslaughter. First-degree murder, however, carries with it a penalty of life in prison.
