MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two Minnesotans have filed federal civil rights lawsuits against the city of Minneapolis and former Officer Derek Chauvin.
They allege they were traumatized in 2017 when Chauvin used what they call his "signature move" of kneeling on a subject's neck, which is how he killed George Floyd in 2020.
Both lawsuits filed Tuesday claim racism was behind his actions.
Plaintiffs John Pope Jr. and Zoya Code are Black, and Chauvin is white.
Pope said that when he was 14, he was repeatedly hit in the head with a metal flashlight.
A federal civil rights indictment was filed against Chauvin for that encounter. He pled guilty to all charges last December.
Code said she was uncooperative with the police but not an immediate threat. Still, Chauvin dragged her out of a house and restrained her by putting his knee on her neck.
The plaintiffs argue that the city failed to stop the former officer's pattern of excessive force.
Chauvin's attorneys have not responded to requests for comment, but the City Attorney's Office calls the incidents "disturbing" and says it hopes to reach settlements.
