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Officer charged with killing George Floyd eligible for pension worth more than $1 million

Officer charged with killing George Floyd eligible for pension worth more than $1 million

George Floyd protests

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin could receive more than $1 million in pension benefits during his retirement years even if he is convicted of killing George Floyd.

The death of Floyd, a black man, on May 25 has become the latest flashpoint for rage over police brutality against African Americans, propelling the issue of race to the top of the political agenda ahead of the US presidential election on November 3.

Chauvin has been the subject of national fury since last month, when footage emerged of him kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes even as he begged him to stop. He was subsequently fired from the department where he had worked since 2001 amid national protests, and was eventually charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers involved with the incident were also fired and face felony charges.

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But Chauvin still stands to benefit from a pension partially funded by taxpayers.

The Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association confirmed to CNN that 44-year-old Chauvin would remain eligible to file for his pension as early as age 50.

Chauvin would likely be eligible for annual payments in the ballpark of $50,000 a year or more if he chose to start receiving them at age 55, according to a CNN analysis based on Chauvin's tenure, 2019 payroll data, contract details, pension plan guidance and Minneapolis Police Department salary schedules. The benefits could stretch to $1.5 million or more over a 30-year period, not including any cost of living increases.

Chauvin's annual payments could be even higher if he received significant amounts of overtime in prior years.

While a number of state laws allow for the forfeiture of pensions for those employees convicted of felony crimes related to their work, this is not the case in Minnesota.