In a significant development related to police conduct in Minneapolis, the city has reached a settlement of $600,000 with Patty Day, a woman who accused former Officer Derek Chauvin of using excessive force during her arrest in January 2020. This incident bore striking similarities to Chauvin's later actions that resulted in the death of George Floyd just months later.
Patty Day, who previously worked for the Public Works Department, filed a lawsuit in May 2022, claiming she was wrongfully arrested and subjected to excessive force by Chauvin and his partner, Officer Ellen Jensen. On the night of January 17, 2020, Day had been stuck in the snow for several hours while inebriated and struggling with personal issues stemming from her impending divorce.
According to the lawsuit, Chauvin and Jensen arrived at the scene and forcibly extracted Day from her minivan, subsequently throwing her onto the ground and causing multiple injuries. The suit described how Chauvin then placed his knee on Day's back, mirroring the infamous position he used during the fatal encounter with George Floyd. Notably, a drunken driving charge against Day was later dropped due to a judge's ruling that the officers lacked probable cause to arrest her.
The Minneapolis City Council approved the settlement unanimously. Council member LaTrisha Vetaw announced that of the total amount, $175,000 would go to Day, while her legal team would receive $425,000. This settlement is part of a growing financial burden for the city, which has now allocated over $36 million to settle various police misconduct cases involving Chauvin, including a staggering $27 million paid to the Floyd family.
In a statement, Day's attorney, Katie Bennett, expressed gratitude for reaching the settlement but emphasized that no financial resolution could undo the trauma Day experienced. Bennett highlighted the case as indicative of the urgent need for justice and reform within policing practices.
Derek Chauvin, who is currently serving time in a federal prison in Texas, was convicted in state court for the murder of George Floyd. He also faces a federal conviction for violating Floyd's civil rights. The events surrounding Floyd's death ignited widespread national protests and discussions regarding racial injustice and police reform across the country.
The initial report has been updated to clarify that Day alleged Chauvin pressed his knee into her back, not her neck, correcting an important detail in the coverage of the incident. This settlement further reinforces the scrutiny placed on police actions and the accountability mechanisms in place for law enforcement officers.
