He has been freed from jail after posting $1 million bail
Derek Chauvin, the police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, has been released from jail in the USA.
George Floyd died in Minneapolis on May 25th this year when Chauvin, 44, pressed his knee on Floyd's neck during a routine arrest. Floyd subsequently died of asphyxiation.
Derek Chauvin is currently facing charges of second and third-degree murder and manslaughter in relation to Floyd's death.
Chauvin was released from jail on Wednesday on conditional bail. He is set to appear in court in March 2021 to face the murder and manslaughter charges. The 44-year-old denies all charges made against him.
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Chauvin, one of four Minneapolis police officers sacked after Floyd's death, was arrested in the aftermath of the killing. Floyd's death sparked national and international outrage, the ramifications of which are still ongoing today.
George Floyd's cries of "I can't breathe", uttered during the killing, have since become a symbol of protest against police brutality and institutional racism.
Floyd was captured on camera gasping and muttering the words in the minutes before he passed away. His death sparked international outrage and a wave of ongoing anti-racism protests, both in America and beyond.
Since his arrest, Chauvin was being held at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights for the sake of his own safety. However, he was released from custody on Wednesday morning according to US sources.
Mr Floyd's dying cries of "I can't breathe" were heard world-over as riots erupted in multiple cities across the US in protest against how black people are treated by police forces.
George Floyd moved to the St. Louis Park area of Minneapolis in 2014, working as a truck driver, bouncer and security guard. At the time of his death, Floyd had just lost his security job due to the impact of Covid-19.
