George Floyd death: Derek Chauvin and Floyd worked together at El Nuevo Rodeo club

George Floyd and Derek Chauvin worked for the same club at the same time. Photo / Supplied

Did George Floyd and the police officer accused of killing him, Derek Chauvin, work together? One club owner says yes, and they may have known each other.

Floyd and the officer charged with his death both worked security at the same local club for a few months before Floyd's death in Minneapolis last week.

The owner of El Nuevo Rodeo says the two worked near each other on Tuesday night shifts once a week, although she did not know whether they had actually met.

George Floyd and Derek Chauvin worked for the same club at the same time. Photo / Supplied

According to CBS News, club owner Maya Santamaria says she paid Chauvin, while he was off-duty as a police officer, to sit in his squad car outside the club for 17 years.

Floyd worked as a security guard inside the club last year.

Santamaria is unsure whether they ever met, but they did work in close proximity every Tuesday night.

She said Floyd was well liked by club patrons and beloved in the Latin community, as he worked at one other Latin club.

Chauvin has been fired from the police department following his charges in relation to Floyd's death.

She said customers never complained about Chauvin but did have comments about how he handled them.

Her club burned down last week during the protests over Floyd's death.

According to CBS, Santamaria has reached out to Floyd's family.

The family's lawyer, Benjamin Crump, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that the connection between the two means Chauvin should face tougher charges.

"That is going to be an interesting aspect to this case and hopefully upgrading these charges to first-degree murder because we believe he knew who George Floyd was," the lawyer said. "We think that he had intent."

Santamaria says she would like to see Chauvin punished.

"We have to make Derek Chauvin an example so that police around the country realise that it's not okay, and they're not going to get away with it and there will be repercussions. Otherwise it's going to continue to happen," she said.