Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s mother said he is a ‘good man’ with ‘a big heart’ during his sentencing hearing.
Carolyn Pawlenty, speaking for the first time publicly during her son’s sentencing hearing, said he is not a racist.
‘The public will never know the loving and caring man he is that his family does,’ she said.
Pawlenty said that her son devoted 19 years of his life to the Minneapolis Police Department and would call in to see if any help was needed even on his days off.
‘It has been difficult for me to hear and read what the media, public and prosecution team leave Derek to be, an aggressive, heartless and uncaring person. I can tell you that is far from the truth,’ she said.
‘My son’s identity has also been reduced to that as a racist. Want this court to know that none of these are true and that my son is a good man.’
Pawlenty said that ‘Derek has played over and over in his head the events of that day’.
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