Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was released from prison Wednesday morning after posting bail.
According to court records, Chauvin paid $100,000 to “purchase the bond which is posted to cover the bail,” attorney Nathan Hansen explained.
“The bonding company promises to pay $1 million if he fails to appear. Chauvin does not get the $100k back. That is the fee,” he said on Twitter.
The unconditional bond was set at $1.25 million and the conditional bond was set at $1 million. Chauvin was released on a conditional bond, which requires him to stay in Minnesota and remain law-abiding. The document was signed by A-Affordable Bail Bonds out of Brainerd, Minnesota. A law enforcement notice of release was posted shortly after Chauvin made bail.
WCCO reported that Chauvin was transferred from a maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights to Hennepin County Jail shortly before 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. A Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed with Fox 9 that he was then released from jail.
Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for his involvement in the death of George Floyd. Video of the Memorial Day incident shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he died.
Floyd’s death sparked four nights of rioting across the Twin Cities, leaving more than 1,000 businesses vandalized or destroyed and causing at least $500 million in damage.
Chauvin’s fellow responding officers — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were each charged with one count of aiding and abetting murder. All three officers have been released from jail.
The four officers made their first joint, in-person court appearance in early September. The court is currently considering whether or not to try the four officers together or separately, and another motion from defense attorneys to move the trial out of Hennepin County.
The trial is expected to begin in March.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
