Derek Chauvin could receive more than $1 million in pension benefits even if a conviction against him is secured in the murder of George Floyd.
As explained in a CNN report filed Friday, Chauvin would "likely be eligible for" yearly payments in the neighborhood of $50,000 a year "or more" if he chose to start receiving them at age 55. That figure is the result of analysis of contract info, recent payroll data, pension plan guidance, and Minneapolis Police Department salary schedules.
Per those estimates, the benefits could reach up to $1.5 million (or more) across a 30-year payout period, a figure that doesn't factor in increases in cost of living. Large amounts of overtime during Chauvin's tenure could also make that figure higher. In addition to Chauvin, one of the other officers "appears eligible" for pension benefits even if convicted. Two of the officers involved in George Floyd's murder were rookies.
This is all due to the state of Minnesota, which does not allow the taking away of pensions for those convicted of felony crimes connected with their job. Read Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken's full breakdown here.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Fellow fired officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. The murder of George Floyd kicked off worldwide protests against police brutality and the inherent racism of policing, ultimately inspiring growing calls for police funds to be redistributed in ways that would better serve the very communities the officers claim to want to protect.
