The police officer charged with murdering George Floyd has been released from prison after posting $1million (£770,000) bail.

Derek Chauvin was released from Oak Heights Prison in Minneapolis this morning (October 7), according to Hennepin County records.

He faces a second-degree murder charge over Floyd’s death after he was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Three other officers, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Keung Tuesday were also previously charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

In case you hadnt heard, Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer charged with murdering #GeorgeFloyd has been released from jail on a non-cash bond. pic.twitter.com/vsN3aRFoil

— Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) October 7, 2020

They also previously posted bail amounts of $750,000 (£580,740) and were set free pending trial. All four men are scheduled to face trial together in March.

Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis on May 25 following an altercation with police officers. The incident led to hundreds protesting on the streets in Minnesota, and dozens of demos have now been held worldwide.

At the time, musicians including Janelle Monáe and Ice Cube led calls for justice in the US following Floyd’s death along with John Boyega.

Following Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis pledged to disband its police department after a majority of city council members backed the move.

Nine of the Minneapolis City Council’s 12 members voted for the huge change and vowed to introduce constructive alternatives after Floyd died in police custody.

Lisa Bender, the Minneapolis council president, said at the time: “It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe.

“Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”

Entire city police departments have been disbanded before in the US: in Compton, California, in 2000, and in Camden, New Jersey. They were both replaced with new forces that instead covered local counties.