Chauvin found guilty of murder, manslaughter in George Floyd’s death
Derek Chauvin is handcuffed and led out of court after the guilty verdict was read in court on April 20, 2021.[KSTP]
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty in last year’s death of George Floyd.
The jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of second-degree manslaughter, one count of second-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder. His bail was revoked and the former officer was taken into custody.
The decision by jurors was reached on their first full day of deliberations after closing arguments wrapped up Monday afternoon.
Chauvin was booked at Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights Tuesday evening. He will be sentenced in about eight weeks.
Reaction: Derek Chauvin convicted on all 3 charges in the death of George Floyd
A second-degree murder conviction carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; third-degree murder is punishable by up to 25 years in prison; second-degree manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. However, a conviction doesn’t mean the defendant will be sentenced to the maximum allowed under law. For reference, former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced to 12.5 years after being convicted of both third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in 2019.
KSTP’s complete coverage of Derek Chauvin’s trial
Floyd died in police custody on May 25, 2020, after officers responded to a call about a counterfeit $20 bill used at Cup Foods. Bystander video showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes, which prosecutors said was a misuse of force, as other officers assisted at the scene. The defense argued Floyd died from the combination of his underlying health issues, illegal drug use and resisting officers.
The video of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck sparked a worldwide response, with protesters taking to the streets across the globe to call for reformed policing laws and justice for Floyd.
The three other officers at the scene — Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng — are expected to be tried for aiding and abetting in August.
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