The city of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed that former police officer Derek Chauvin used excessive force against her in January 2020. The woman, Patty Day, alleged that Chauvin pulled her from her minivan and pinned her to the ground with his knee, similar to how he later killed George Floyd four months later.
Day, who used to work for the Public Works Department, filed the lawsuit last May, claiming she was a victim of excessive force and wrongful arrest. She admitted to being drunk on the night of January 17, 2020, and struggling with depression over her impending divorce and other personal issues. She became stuck in the snow for several hours before Chauvin and his partner, Officer Ellen Jensen, arrived at the scene.
The lawsuit stated that the officers “violently yanked” Day from her vehicle and threw her to the pavement, causing several injuries. It further alleged that Chauvin pressed his knee into Day’s back while she was subdued and handcuffed. This position was described as similar to the one he used against George Floyd, which ultimately led to Floyd’s death.
A drunken driving charge against Day was later dropped. A judge ruled that the officers lacked probable cause to arrest her and suppressed the blood alcohol test evidence.
Read more: