Derek Chauvin
A Minneapolis police officer whose murder of George Floyd, captured on video, ignited a global movement against racial injustice.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American murderer and police officer·Birthday: March 19·Generation X
Biography
Derek Chauvin was a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department whose actions on May 25, 2020, sparked an international reckoning. During an arrest over a suspected counterfeit bill, he knelt on the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, for over nine minutes, as Floyd pleaded for his life and lost consciousness. A bystander's video of the killing circulated globally, triggering massive, sustained protests against police brutality and systemic racism under the banner of Black Lives Matter. Chauvin was fired the day after the murder and later convicted on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. In a rare federal prosecution, he was also found guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights. His trial and sentencing became a focal point for a national debate on policing and accountability.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Derek was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Derek Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Derek's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Convicted on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for the killing of George Floyd.
- Found guilty on federal charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights during the fatal arrest.
- Served as a police officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for 19 years prior to the murder.
Did You Know?
He was the first white police officer in Minnesota to be convicted of murder for an on-duty killing.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that he had knelt on George Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
He had 18 prior complaints filed against him with the Minneapolis Police Department's internal affairs office, but only two resulted in discipline.
“I was just doing my job, following my training at that moment.”
