Derek Chauvin, the former officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds until he could no longer breathe, was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers in Minneapolis, Minnesota this tuesday April 20th 2021. Jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was handcuffed for allegedly spending a counterfeit $20 bill. The murder of George Floyd last summer sent waves of shock and outrage all over the world. In the end, jurors agreed with what millions of people across the country shouted for months — Chauvin murdered Floyd.
Prosecutor Jerry Blackwell in his closing arguments yesterday said, “Ultimately, it isn’t really that complicated. You can believe your eyes.”
Chauvin was on trial for the past three weeks as eyewitnesses described witnessing the brutal way in which Chauvin ignored Floyd’s cries for help, calling out to his mother and even claims that he could not breathe went ignored. Witness Genevieve Hansen described being waved off by officers who refused to allow her to provide potentially life-saving attention to Floyd. Both a medical examiner and a private pathologist concluded that Floyd died of homicide.
Chauvin, who enacted the fifth amendment and decided not to testify during the trial, also waived jury sentencing. The judge in the case will determine how long Chauvin will remain in prison for his charges.
The recommended sentencing for second-degree murder is 12 and a half years in prison and four years for second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin will be sentenced in eight weeks. He’ll be held in custody without bail until then.
The other three officers on the scene, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, were also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. They’ve all pleaded not guilty. This is certainly a historic day in the United States. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released a statement on Facebook after the verdict was read, calling it an “important step forward for justice in Minnesota.” However, he noted, the death of Daunte Wright on April 11 is a reminder that “our work has only begun.”
“The reality of racism in this nation finally hit a boiling point, the pain of more than 400 years of injustice,”Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio tweeted. “Today, justice was served.”
A ‘turning point in American history accountability of law enforcement, Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!”,’ Floyd family lawyer Ben Crump says
