Minneapolis Review

Derek Chauvin, the officer who suffocated George Floyd to death on May 25, will be able to receive his taxpayer-funded pension even if he is convicted of murder.

Chauvin has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Minnesota does not have a law that revokes an individual's pension if they commit a felony offense while in service of their public duties, according to Reason. 

Chauvin will be able to draw pension at age 50, though benefits will not be fully vested until he is 55. The exact amount of his pension is unknown, but CNN estimates that he is likely to receive $50,000 per year based on his final pay and years of service. If he lives to be 78, that could equal more than $1 million from the pension system.

Public pension systems are funded by employees who contribute a portion of their paychecks, by the employers and by investment earnings. Taxpayers in Minnesota will pay for Chauvin's retirement even if he's spending some or all of it behind bars.