What happened to Zoya Code and John Pope? Minnesota residents settle excessive force lawsuit against Derek Chauvin 

On Thursday, April 13, the Minneapolis City Council announced that two citizens would recieve $9 million after they were victimized by Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who was convicted of killing George Floyd in 2020. According to NPR, the two citizens, Zoya Code and John Pope, were victims of excessive force at the hands of Derek Chauvin back in 2017.

Trigger warning: This article concerns police brutality, the reader's discretion is advised

While John Pope will receive $7.5 million, Zoya Code will receive $1.375 million. Both citizens claimed that upon being arrested by Derek Chauvin, he pressed his knee into their necks. Investigators into the death of George Floyd claimed that it was this very same maneuver that led to his 2020 death.

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Details of the allegations against Derek Chauvin

According to NPR, on September 4 2017, police officers Derek Chauvin and Alexander Walls responded to a report of a domestic assault at the home of then 14-year-old John Pope, where the victim resided with his mother and sister. Upon arriving at the scene, Pope's mother accused John Pope of assaulting his sister in a dispute over unplugging phone chargers from the wall. Officials noted that Pope's mother was visibly drunk at the time.

John Pope, however, told the officers that his mother had assaulted him. This account of the incident was later supported by his sister. However, Alexander Walls grabbed the teen by the wrist, while Derek Chauvin struck him in the head. Chauvin proceeded to push the teen against the wall and strangle him until he was unconscious.

As Pope gradually regained consciousness, Derek Chauvin handcuffed him while keeping him restrained by placing his knee upon the victim's neck and upper back. Eight officers who later arrived at the scene corroborated that they had witnessed Chauvin using this maneuver. After the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis Police Department would officially state that kneeling upon a suspect's neck violates their policies.

According to Zoya Code, she experienced similar treatment from Chauvin. As reported by the Marshall Project, the same year he encountered Pope, Chauvin also restrained Zoya Code after similarly receiving a call regarding a domestic dispute. Code claimed that upon arriving at the scene, Chauvin restrained her before handcuffing her and placing his knee upon her neck. Code said that she initially expressed that Chauvin was hurting her, only to be ignored. She said that out of frustration, she told the officer to press harder, which he did.

Chauvin has been the subject of at least 22 complaints for the use of excessive force. The former officer is currently incarcerated at FCI, Tucson after being convicted of the murder of George Floyd. He was sentenced to 22-years in prison.