The man who said George Floyd and the police officer charged with killing him, Derek Chauvin, “bumped heads” while working at nightclub has recanted his claim, saying he confused Floyd with another black man who worked at the club.
"There has been a mix up between George and another fellow co-worker," David Pinney told CBS News on Wednesday.
Pinney made headlines on Tuesday when he told CBS News that Floyd, who died in police custody, and Chauvin knew each other “pretty well” from both working at the El Nuevo Rodeo Club in Minneapolis.
Pinney also worked at the club and said Chauvin and Floyd had a grudge which had "a lot to do with Derek being extremely aggressive within the club with some of the patrons, which was an issue."
However, on Wednesday Pinney wrote an email to CBS News and said he mixed-up Floyd with another man whom he did not identify.
"I apologize for not doing my due diligence and placing you in a very uncomfortable situation," he wrote.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder of Floyd after video showed him restraining Floyd face down with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The coroner listed the cause of death as a heart attack and neck compression with fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system.
In a 50-minute interview, Pinney described several interactions between Floyd and Chauvin in detail, and said Floyd didn’t want to work with Chauvin because of his “aggressive behavior.”
The El Nuevo Rodeo Club was destroyed by fire during riots that erupted following the death of Floyd, the Epoch Times reported.
The former owner of the club, Maya Santamaria, said said she wasn’t sure if Floyd and Chavin knew each other.
“I want to make sure that it’s clear that I in no uncertain terms want to imply that these two knew each other or had a working relationship, or, on the contrary, that they had a beef,” she said. “Because I don’t think that would be a fair representation.”
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