Secured $7.5 Million Settlement with the City of Minneapolis for Victim of Derek Chauvin

Pope, John v. Chauvin, Derek; Arradondo, Medaria & MPD

Robins Kaplan civil rights attorneys secured a $7.5 million settlement on behalf of client, John Pope, a victim of police misconduct at the hands of Derek Chauvin and other Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers. The lawsuit filed in Minnesota, alleging police misconduct, use of excessive force, and racial discrimination was filed against the City of Minneapolis, Chauvin, and several other MPD officers from incidents three years prior to the murder of George Floyd. On April 13, 2023, the Minneapolis City Council granted unanimous approval of the civil rights settlement.

John Pope was only 14 years old when MPD was called to his home for a domestic disturbance in 2017. Pope posed no threat to the officers or anyone else during the encounter, yet Chauvin rushed and used a large metal flashlight to strike him multiple times in the head. He then choked Pope around his neck and pinned him to the floor with his knee – the same tactic used in the murder of George Floyd. Pope was held in that position for 15 minutes while he cried and stated that he could not breath. None of the other officers on scene stepped in to intervene while witnessing the encounter, ignoring Pope’s tearful cries for help.

In the aftermath, defendant Sergeant Lucas Peterson approved the excessive use of force and tried to justify his approval to Pope while he was receiving treatment at Hennepin County Medical Center. MPD was in possession of the bodycam video evidence of Chauvin’s misconduct and chose not to discipline him or any of the other officers involved. Instead, MPD allowed Chauvin to continue to train dozens of young MPD officers using his predatory methods.