FACT CHECK: No, Derek Chauvin Is Not A Crisis Actor Using A Fake Name

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

A Facebook post claims former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is a crisis actor using a fake name.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Chauvin is a crisis actor. Court records and his Minneapolis Police Department personnel file identify him as having the last name Chauvin.

Fact Check:

A jury found Chauvin guilty April 20 of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection to George Floyd’s May 25, 2020 death, according to CNN. Video footage from a bystander showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds, the outlet reported.

Now, an April 21 Facebook post featuring an image showing definitions of the word chauvinism in several dictionaries claims Chauvin is a crisis actor. “Derek ‘Chauvin’ is a fake name,” the post states. “He’s a crisis actor, and his last name was chosen for a reason. We are being continually played by this psyop.” (RELATED: Is North Carolina Murder Suspect Dejywan Floyd The Younger Brother Of George Floyd?)

Contrary to these claims, there is no evidence that Chauvin previously went by a different surname or worked as a crisis actor. Chauvin’s personnel file published on the Minneapolis government website shows his name signed as “Derek Chauvin” as early as 2001, when he was hired as a police officer for the Minneapolis Police Department. His full name, Derek Michael Chauvin, also appears in the Minnesota court documents for his trial.
Had Chauvin previously gone by a different name or been an actor, it is likely media outlets would have reported on it, yet none have, except to debunk the claims. Additionally, both a May 2008 Pioneer Press article and an August 2011 Star Tribune report identify Chauvin by name as a police officer.
Chauvin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16 this year, according to CNBC.

Trevor Schakohl

Legal Reporter
Follow Trevor on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/tschakohl

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