Lawsuit says ex

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A former employee sued the city of Minneapolis on Tuesday, alleging ex-police Officer Derek Chauvin hauled her from her minivan and pinned her to the ground with his knee in January 2020, just as he did four months later when he killed George Floyd.

Patty Day, then employed by the Public Works Department, wants over $9 million in damages for her injuries, which included a broken tooth, a deep cut that left a scar on her hand, persistent arm and shoulder pain, and psychological issues including anxiety, depression and flashbacks.

“Chauvin is the most infamous police officer in Minnesota (if not United States) history,” according to the complaint filed in federal court. “This exacerbates Patty’s emotional suffering and increases the frequency of her flashbacks, as Chauvin’s name is repeatedly in the news.”

Day’s attorneys acknowledge she was drunk on the evening of Jan. 17, 2020, and depressed over her impending divorce and other difficulties, according to the complaint. Her minivan had been stuck in the snow for several hours when Chauvin and Officer Ellen Jensen arrived on the scene.