George Floyd Death: Ex-Minneapolis Cop Derek Chauvin's Bail Set At Up To $1.25M

Derek Chauvin, the cashiered Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) cop accused of murdering George Floyd Jr. by asphyxiating him to death with his knee, had his bail set at $1.25 million Monday, the day before his victim's burial in Houston.

Chauvin's bail was originally set at $500,000; the amount was increased to $1 million, with conditions, when Chauvin's charge was upped to second-degree murder on June 3.

During Monday’s hearing, Prosecutor Matthew Frank argued that the more expensive bail be retained. He said the seriousness of the charges against Chauvin and the “strong reaction in the community, to put it mildly,” make Chauvin a flight risk.

Frank then requested the amount be increased to $1.25 million without conditions. The higher bail was approved by Judge Jeannice Reding, the Fourth Judicial District judge for Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lawyer, didn't argue against the higher bail amount. Neither did he contest the charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter against Chauvin.

Chauvin isn't expected to make bail, however. The reduced $1 million bail offer came with certain conditions.

Among these were that Chauvin should not work in law enforcement or for a security agency; not have contact with Floyd's family, and not leave Minnesota. Chauvin must also surrender all his firearms and permits, remain law-abiding and make all future court appearances.

Bail for Chauvin's three other co-defendants (Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao), who are also in jail, was set at $1 million each. Lane, Kueng and Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The bail for the three ex-cops can be lowered to $750,000 with conditions. All four defendants will return to court on June 29. Chauvin, however, will be supervised in the unlikely event he does post bail, said Judge Reding.

Chauvin said little during Monday's 11 minute-long bail hearing where he appeared before Judge Reding on closed-circuit television from the state’s maximum security prison in Oak Park Heights outside Minneapolis. He wore a blue facemask and was in handcuffs as he sat at a table. Chauvin did not enter a plea, a step that usually comes later in the Minnesota justice system.

Floyd will be buried Tuesday in his hometown of Houston. Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden held a private meeting with Floyd’s family Monday. Biden, however, has decided not to attend Floyd's funeral set for Tuesday so as not to disrupt the proceedings. He also taped a video message for Floyd's funeral service. Biden first talked to the Floyd family on May 29, four days after Floyd’s death.

Floyd was born in North Carolina, lived most of his life in Houston and moved to Minneapolis from Houston four years ago in search of a better job.