Disgraced police officer Derek Chauvin has seen a lot of changes in the past few days. After video footage circulated of him kneeling on George Floyd's neck, many members of the community — and the world — couldn't fathom that an authority figure could be so cruel. Derek's maneuver has been criticized by police officers worldwide, especially since George wasn't resisting arrest. At the time, he was peacefully following orders in handcuffs. Which, by itself, is already a harsh reaction to the petty crime he was suspected of. He didn't deserve to die. But sadly, he did.
According to charges, George Floyd died as a result of Derek Chauvin's actions. Now Derek is being charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. For those who've witnessed the tape, even these upgraded charges aren't enough.
When upsetting news like this gets out, the community often finds out as much as they can about the person responsible. For Derek, it became widely known that he had a wife named Kellie. But Kellie was quick to file for divorce. And it's apparent she wants absolutely nothing to do with her estranged husband anymore.
As far as police go, Derek Chauvin doesn't have a good record. Even prior to meeting and allegedly ending the life of George Floyd, he had 17 complaints against him that led to investigations. According to Twin Cities Pioneer Press, there wasn't a lot of information on file about what those were in regard to.
Derek had been with the police department since he was hired in October 2001. The one complaint that he actually got reprimanded for happened in 2007. Supposedly, he aggressively pulled a woman out of her car after she went 10 miles over the speed limit. As all drivers know, this is a mistake that's very easy to make — and usually is punished with a ticket, if anything.
But it was also noted that Derek's squad car video camera was conveniently turned off when this incident happened. He likely knew prior to pulling her over that things might get rough. That right there is an abuse of power, much like his incident with George Floyd. His file has also indicated that he has shot and killed others before — often people who had nothing to do with the scene of the crime.
Derek Chauvin represents police officers all over the country who act the same way. Not all law enforcement officers are in the business for the wrong reasons. In fact, many are very supportive of all members of their community. But enough of them are abusing their power, bringing shame to the occupation. Many of them just aren't caught on camera the way Derek was.
Derek and the three officers who surrounded George Floyd — who've been named as Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — appeared to show no mercy or regret over the actions that took place. It makes you wonder how normalized this awful behavior might be to them. While the video is hard to watch, their lack of a proper reaction is telling, and as the charges against them indicate, they should all be faulted for George's untimely death.
Derek's inhumane actions look like they are also costing him his marriage. Kellie made it very clear that she doesn't want to be married to someone who'd openly treat another human being in such a horrific way. It seems that she literally wants nothing to do with Derek. She doesn't even want to hold onto his last name.
Oddly enough, Kellie Chauvin has also been in the news — for extremely different reasons. Kellie, who filed for divorce on the grounds of "irretrievable breakdown," is a pageant winner. In 2018, she took the crown for Mrs. Minnesota. Both she and Derek represented their states in different ways. But, the power appears to have only gone to Derek's head.
In an even bigger move, Kellie isn't looking for any kind of financial compensation from the divorce. She just wants to move on with her life independently. The New York Post writes that Kellie was actually once arrested for writing a false check, which is a crime similar to the one that George was initially accused of. Obviously, she's still alive.
While they have no children together, Kelli does have kids from a previous relationship who are probably quite disturbed over the news. According to Kellie's attorney, she was absolutely heartbroken after watching the video of George slowly losing his life. It's a disturbing watch for anyone, but it paints a clear and honest picture of how horrifically black people are treated in the world today.
"She is devastated by Mr. Floyd's death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy," Kellie's attorney stated. "She has filed for dissolution of her marriage to Derek Chauvin. While Ms. Chauvin has no children from her current marriage, she respectfully requests that her children, her elder parents, and her extended family be given safety and privacy during this difficult time."
Still, those who are outraged by what happened feel as if perhaps Kellie is just protecting her assets — which may be true. As of right now, Derek Chauvin remains in jail. While he's likely aware of the action is wife is taking against him, he has yet to comment.
Police officers should be interested in a law enforcement career because they want to make their communities safer, healthier places. And that goes for everyone. It seems like Derek often overreacted over small crimes, or simply accusations. Because of it, a black man and father lost his life.
Kellie will likely take some time to fully digest this news, but she's making a smart choice. No matter what their marriage was like prior to this incident, and the incidents before, Derek put lives in danger. Even if George Floyd's death is ruled not to be his fault, Derek still refused to take action when George clearly verbalized how much he was suffering.
