Officer charged with second-degree murder of Floyd could receive more than $1M pension even if convicted

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd, could receive more than $1 million in pension benefits even if he is convicted, the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association confirmed to The Hill.

The group said 44-year-old Chauvin would be eligible roughly $50,000 a year for his pension benefits after he turns 50.

A CNN analysis found that two of the other three officers arrested for their involvement were relatively new to the force and might not be eligible for pensions, but the third one would be eligible.

Chauvin and the other three former Minneapolis police officers were charged with Floyd’s death after a video surfaced of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes as Floyd said repeatedly that he couldn’t breathe. 

The four officers were promptly fired after the video surfaced on May 25, and Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter days later. By the next week, Chauvin’s charges were upgraded to second-degree murder and the three other officers were arrested and charged with felonies. 

Police unions have long fought to protect pension benefits for officers, which are partially taxpayer-funded. Pension forfeiture for police officers is pretty rare, even in cases of severe misconduct, experts told CNN. 

However, Floyd’s death has led to a number of unprecedented pushes against law enforcement as activists demand change in the criminal justice system. 

A number of local entities, particularly in Minneapolis, have cut ties with the police department as a result of Chauvin’s actions. Other police departments have considered slashing funding for their police departments as videos surfaced of them using force on protesters.

–Updated at 2:25 p.m.