George Floyd and cop who knelt on his neck, before he died, worked previously together as security at same Minneapolis club just months earlier, a former club owner has said.
The two men worked together as security guards at El Nuevo Rodeo club in the city, according to the former owner of the venue
Maya Santamaria, who recently sold the club, told KSTP-TV: “Chauvin was our off-duty police for almost the entirety of the 17 years that we were open.”
She revealed that Floyd worked inside the venue as a security guard while the police officer worked off-duty outside the club.
Maya admits she does not know if the pair knew each other as the business employed two dozen security guards – but there would have been occasions where they working on the same night, she says.
She claims Chauvin would often overreact and use pepper spray on people, saying “he had a real short fuse and he seemed afraid.”
“When there was an altercation he always resorted to pulling out his mace and pepper spraying everybody right away, even if I felt it was unwarranted,” Maya said.
The former business owner says Monday’s incident could maybe have been defused if the pair recognised each other.
She said: “What if he could’ve just said ‘Hey, man, you and I worked together at Maya’s place. Remember me?’”
Maya Santamaria claims Chauvin had a ‘short fuse’ and would often pepper spray people
Floyd moved to the city from Houston, Texas in 2014 after serving five years in prison for home invasion, reports the Chicago Tribune.
According to friends, Floyd had started to turn his life around in Minneapolis.
Monday’s disturbing footage showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he was being arrested for allegedly using a fake $20 bill in a nearby shop.
Floyd was later taken to a local hospital where he died.
The father-of-two had moved to the city to turn his life around following a five-year prison stint
Hours after his death, the Minneapolis Police chief announced the four officers involved were fired.
Floyd’s family has echoed Frey’s calls for justice saying they believe their relative was “clearly murdered”.
Floyd’s death has sparked violent protests in the city of Minneapolis and has led to the sacking of policeman Derek Chauvin with three others.
George Floyd died on Monday night after a cop kneeled on his neck while he was being arrested
President Donald Trump called Floyd’s arrest a “shocking sight” and said he feels “very badly” about his death
He said this week that the FBI and Department of Justice are “well into” a probe into Floyd’s death, which was made at his request.
“At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd,” said Trump.
The president also said he’s asked for the probe to be expedited before sending his condolences to Floyd’s family and friends.
He ended with a pointed message: “Justice will be served.”
