A former Minneapolis city employee filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing ex-police Officer Derek Chauvin of pulling her from her minivan and pinning her to the ground with his knee in January 2020, similar to his actions in George Floyd’s death four months later.
Patty Day, who worked for the Public Works Department at the time, is seeking over $9 million for injuries she sustained during the incident. These injuries included a broken tooth, a deep cut on her hand resulting in a scar, ongoing pain in her arm and shoulder, and psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and flashbacks.
According to the complaint filed in federal court, Chauvin’s notoriety exacerbates Day’s emotional distress and triggers frequent flashbacks due to his frequent appearance in the news.
The Missouri state Senate (Via Riley Jacks/Shutterstock)
Day’s lawyers acknowledge that she was intoxicated on the night of January 17, 2020, and struggling with depression related to her impending divorce and other personal challenges. Her minivan had been stuck in the snow for hours when Chauvin and Officer Ellen Jensen arrived at the scene.
“Chauvin and Jensen forcibly removed Patty from her vehicle and, without justification, threw her onto the street, fracturing her tooth, injuring her arm and shoulder, and causing other significant injuries before handcuffing her,” the complaint alleges.
“Afterward, Chauvin applied his characteristic posture by placing his knee on Patty’s back while she was restrained and handcuffed — a pose he would later use to cause George Floyd’s death — and maintained this position long after Patty was under control.”
