Derek Chauvin, the police officer seen kneeling on the neck of George Floyd before his death in a viral video that prompted nationwide protests against police brutality, has been released from prison on bond.
On the same day, Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back by police officers seven times while unarmed, was released from the hospital.
The officer responsible for Mr Floyd’s death was released from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights on Wednesday, according to Hennepin County records.
Mr Chauvin was one of four former police officers charged in the killing of Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man who pleaded for his life as Mr Chauvin kineeled on his neck for over eight minutes in the disturbing video.
The officers’ actions sparked global anti-police brutality and anti-racism demonstrations throughout the summer.
According to court documents, Mr Chauvin posted $1 million bond, and the Department of Corrections confirmed he was no longer in custody at the state’s facility where he had been detained.
Mr Floyd died May 25 after Mr Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against his neck for several minutes as he said he couldn’t breathe.
Mr Chauvin and three other officers were fired after the killing.
He is charged with second-degree murder and other crimes; Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting.
The other three officers previously posted bail amounts of $750,000 and have been free pending trial.
Currently, all four men are scheduled to face trial together in March, but the judge is weighing a request to have them tried separately.
In Milwaukee, Mr Blake — who was shot by police seven times in the back while he was walking away from a group of officers responding to a fight — was released from the hospital.
Mr Blake has been hospitalised since 23 August.
Though he’s no longer in the hospital, he’s far from cleared to head home; Mr Blake will now begin rehabilitative work at a spinal center near Chicago, according to his lawyer, Patrick Cafferty.
Mr Blake’s kidney, liver, small intestine, colon and stomach were damaged by the shooting. At the time of his shooting, Mr Blake’s attorney said the 29-year-old was paralysed from the waist down.
As with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Mr Blake’s shooting ignited protests in Milwaukee and poured fuel on the flames of racial justice protests that have been ongoing since May.
Mr Blake recorded a video last month encouraging his supporters not to take their lives for granted.
«Your life, and not only just your life, your legs, something you need to move around and forward in life, can be taken from you like this,» Mr Blake said. «Stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out there, man, because there’s so much time that’s been wasted.»
