The wife of Derek Chauvin filed for divorce on Friday, the same day that the former Minneapolis police officer was arrested and charged in connection with George Floyd’s death.
Kellie Chauvin, a 45-year-old realtor who had previously worked in healthcare, per the Associated Press, announced through her lawyer that she was ending her 10-year marriage to Chauvin in a statement to CBS Minnesota.
“This evening, I spoke with Kellie Chauvin and her family,” reads the statement. “She is devastated by Mr. Floyd’s death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family, his loved ones, and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy. 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,” the statement concludes.
Derek Chauvin was taken into police custody on Friday and charged with manslaughter and third-degree murder following nearly a week of protests nationwide demanding justice for Floyd, who died pinned to the ground with his neck under Chauvin’s knee. According to ABC News, Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, even after Floyd repeatedly told him “I can’t breathe” and grew unresponsive.
“We have now been able to put together the evidence that we need. Even as late as yesterday afternoon, we did not have all that we needed,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman told CBS Minnesota following Chauvin’s arrest. “This is by far the fastest that we’ve ever charged a police officer.”
