Minneapolis Agrees to $600,000 Settlement with Woman Who Claims Derek Chauvin Used Excessive Force
Patty Day Filed Lawsuit Alleging Wrongful Arrest and Abuse by Chauvin in 2020 Incident
MINNEAPOLIS — The city of Minneapolis has reached a $600,000 settlement with Patty Day, a woman who alleged that former police officer Derek Chauvin used excessive force during her arrest in January 2020, prior to his fatal encounter with George Floyd.
Day, who was employed by the Public Works Department at the time, filed a lawsuit in May 2024 claiming that Chauvin and his partner, Officer Ellen Jensen, wrongfully arrested and violently treated her. The incident took place on January 17, 2020, after Day, intoxicated and struggling with personal issues, became stuck in the snow for hours.
The lawsuit states that Chauvin and Jensen "violently yanked" Day from her vehicle and threw her to the ground, causing physical injuries. Day claims Chauvin then knelt on her back, mirroring the position he later used when he killed George Floyd in May of that year.
The suit also alleges that Day’s drunken driving charge was dropped after a judge ruled the officers lacked probable cause for her arrest and suppressed the evidence from her blood alcohol test.
The $600,000 settlement was unanimously approved by the Minneapolis City Council on Thursday. Of that amount, $175,000 will go directly to Day, with the remaining $425,000 allocated to her legal team.
This settlement brings the total amount paid by the city to over $36 million in police misconduct cases involving Chauvin, including the $27 million settlement with the family of George Floyd.
Day’s attorney, Katie Bennett, expressed gratitude for the settlement, stating, “While no settlement can undo what Patty endured, we are grateful to have reached an agreement that holds the officers accountable for their actions.” Bennett added that this case underscores the ongoing need for justice and police reform.
Chauvin, who is serving a federal prison sentence in Texas for both the murder of George Floyd and violating his civil rights, remains a central figure in the national conversation about racial injustice and police accountability.