Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd, was prepared to plead guilty to third-degree murder last year, but William Barr, who was U.S. Attorney General at the time blocked the deal, the Associated Press reports.

Two law enforcement officials, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said the deal would have sidestepped potential federal charges, including civil rights violations charges.  It was an attempt to bring the case to a quick resolution and avoid further social unrest after so much of it had erupted in Minneapolis.
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According to The New York Times, the deal was dependent on the federal government’s approval  because Chauvin, who asked to serve his time in a federal penitentiary, wanted to be sure that he did not have to face civil rights charges. But Barr stopped the deal because he believed the investigation into Floyd’s death was still too new, and he felt protesters would think the deal was too lenient, the officials said.
Chauvin attempted to arrest Floyd, 46, last May when police were called about a counterfeit $20 bill allegedly being passed at a local store. In trying to restrain him, he took him to the ground and kneeled on his neck, asphyxiating him, which led to his death. The entire incident was captured on cellphone video, igniting the country in demonstrations over police violence for much of 2020.
Chavin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. The officers who responded with him, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao were all charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder. All of the officers were fired.
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At the time of the deal, both Chauvin's attorney, Tom Kelly, and his current attorney, Eric Nelson, declined to discuss the deal with the AP. A spokeswoman with the U.S. attorney’s office also would not comment.
Meanwhile, a Minnesota judge declined a state prosecutor’s office request to reinstate a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin, local station KSTP reports. The prosecutors asked Hennepin County, Minn. Judge Peter Cahill to reinstate the charge after the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the third-degree murder conviction of Mohammed Noor, the former Minneapolis policeman convicted in the 2017 shooting death of Justine Damond.
Jury selection for Chauvin’s trial begins March 8. Thao, Kueng, and Lane are scheduled to begin their trial on Aug. 23.