Minneapolis cops say Derek Chauvin should get a federal pardon: 'Railroaded'

Minneapolis police officers told Blaze Media they believe former officer Derek Chauvin should get a pardon for his federal conviction or a new trial at a minimum.

The officers listed many reasons why President Donald Trump should give Chauvin a pardon, even if it is clear he would not get a pardon on his state conviction. They pointed to how rigged the trial was and the police department falsely claiming the restraint Chauvin used on Floyd was not taught to officers. They also claimed Chauvin's conviction has been the pretext to implement policies that make enforcing the law difficult.

The officers were part of exclusive interviews with Blaze Media for the five-year anniversary of the Black Lives Matter riots that ravaged the city after the death of George Floyd. They were on the force during the riots and remain on it today.

RELATED: Minneapolis cops speak out about BLM riots 5 years after 3rd Precinct burned

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"I think there's a consensus that it was clearly that he was railroaded from that. I mean, you have the city doing the settlement [with Floyd's family] before the trial has even begun. That is so corrupt," one officer said.

The officer said what happened to Floyd was unfortunate, but claiming Chauvin murdered him was not justice.

"The restraint he was using was taught in Minneapolis by the police department. It was taught at the academy. I've had that restraint done to me, and I've done it to other people in the academy," the officer said.

"I think people would like to see a pardon and see him get a new trial. ... I don't think there's very many that feel the trial was fair to begin with. ... You had razor wire, Jersey barriers, and everything set out" with a large crowd waiting outside the courthouse, another officer explained. "If you're a member of that jury, how are you not afraid, you know? How are you not swayed?"

Big-name conservatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Jack Posobiec have come out recently to publicly lobby the Trump administration to issue the pardon. The White House said back in March it is not considering a pardon at this time.

Earlier this month, KSTP-TV reported that multiple sources informed them Governor Tim Walz (D), the Minnesota National Guard, Mayor Jacob Frey (D), and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt have all been briefed on preparations for possible riots in the event of a pardon.

Watch the 10-minute interviews with the officers below. You can watch the full 30-minute documentary on BlazeTV.

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