The white police officer, Derek Chauvin who knelt on the neck of George Floyd leading to his death has been charged with murder by a Minneapolis court.
Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for his involvement in the death of George Floyd on Tuesday, April 20.
According to the 12-member jury, in a deliberations that began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours, Derek Chauvin, 45, was criminally liable in Floyd’s death last year after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials, and medical experts.
It was gathered through a confrontation captured on video that, Chauvin, a white veteran of the police force, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, for more than nine minutes on May 25, 2020, when Chauvin and three fellow officers were attempting to arrest Floyd, accused of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a grocery store.
However, the County Judge, Peter Cahill read out the verdict, Derek Chauvin who has been free on bail was remanded in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff. He was directed out of the courtroom in handcuffs moments after he was found guilty.
Chauvin might face up to 40 years in prison on the most serious charge of second-degree murder after sentencing.
Meanwhile, US president, Joe Biden says the verdict to unanimously convict Chauvin for the murder of Floyd is a step forward in the march towards justice in America.
He said: “Today’s verdict is a step forward. I just spoke with the governor of Minnesota, who thanked me for the close work with his team, and I also spoke with George Floyd’s family again.
Commenting on the verdict, the attorneys for George Floyd’s family released a statement following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
The Attorney, Ben Crump commented that “Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state.”
Also, Attorney Antonio M. Romanucci while commenting, stated that “Today’s verdict is so critical in that it not only holds Derek Chauvin accountable for his horrific actions, but it reinforces significant police reforms underway in Minneapolis including use-of-force reporting, a requirement to keep body-worn cameras on, and a policy for officers to de-escalate non-threatening encounters by disengaging or walking away. Now we call on Minnesota state lawmakers to pass.”
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