Chauvin was willing to defend the third-degree murder

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was willing to plead guilty to a third-degree murder in the death of George Floyd before then-Attorney General William Barr personally blocked the deal. claim last year, officials reported.

The deal would have avoided possible federal charges, including a civil rights offense, as part of an effort to quickly resolve the case to prevent further protests after protests and riots damaged an area of ​​southern Minneapolis, according to two police officers with direct knowledge. of the talks. Officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the talks.

Barr rejected the deal in part because he felt it was too early as the investigation into Floyd’s death was still in its relative infancy, officials said.

It has been reported that Chauvin had been in allegation talks previously and it appears that these talks delayed a May 28 press conference convened by the U.S. attorney in Minneapolis for nearly two hours, as they were in course. But details about Chauvin agreeing to plead guilty to a specific charge are new and he was first reported late Wednesday by The New York Times.

Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed at the time, died May 25 after the white officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, even when Floyd shouted he couldn’t breathe. The video from the most-watched viewers sparked protests in the city, including violence, arson and robbery, and quickly spread across the country.

Chauvin was fired shortly after Floyd’s death. He is scheduled for trial on March 8 under charges such as homicide and second-degree homicide. Three other officers at the site, also fired, are scheduled for trial later this year.

Tom Kelly, Chauvin’s lawyer at the time of the court negotiations, said Thursday he could not discuss the case. Chauvin is now represented by Eric Nelson, who declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

Separately, the judge handling Chauvin’s case on Thursday rejected a request for prosecution to reinstate a third-degree murder charge.

Prosecutors argued that a recent Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling upheld a third-degree murder conviction by Mohamed Noor, a Minneapolis officer sentenced to death by gunfire from a person who called 911 unarmed, set a precedent that supported reinstatement. Judge Peter Cahill ruled that Noor’s sentence will not have the power of precedent until a new proceeding before the state Supreme Court.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo contributed from Washington.