Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison for the murder of George Floyd

Derek Chauvin
APPEAL: Derek Chauvin is currently appealing his murder conviction

Derek Chauvin is sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.

Chauvin, a white former police officer in Minneapolis was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in April following an emotional and tense trial in Minneapolis.

The guilty verdict on all three charges against Chauvin came nearly a year after he impassively kneeled on the neck and back of Floyd, handcuffed and lying on the street, for over 9 minutes.

George Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after gasping ‘I can’t breathe’ and asking for help. The filming of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck sparked shock and outrage, igniting Black Lives Matter protests across the world.

Chauvin has remained in jail since he was convicted – the first time a police officer in the state of Minneapolis has been convicted of killing a black man.

The maximum sentence for second degree murder is 40 years. Third degree murder carries a 25-year maximum sentence. For second degree manslaughter, ten years is the maximum sentence.

While in court Derek Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, spoke to the sentencing and said: “The impact it’s had on the community is profound. It goes far beyond what happened on May 25th of last year. It’s been at the forefront of our national consciousness and has weaved its way into every, nearly every facet of our lives from entertainment that we consume to the presidential politics.”

Carolyn Pawlenty, the mother of Derek Chauvin’s mother also spoke in court and said “”My son’s identity has also been reduced to that as a racist. I want this court to know that none of these things are true, and that my son is a good man.”

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, speaking in court at Derek Chauvin’s sentencing, argued that Chauvin abused the power he had as a police officer on the day he killed George Floyd. He said: “This case wasn’t about police officers, all police officers. It wasn’t about policing. This case was about Derek Chauvin disregarding all that training he received and assaulting Mr. Floyd until he suffocated to death,”

The sentencing of Chauvin marks the end of one of the biggest civil rights cases in a generation.

Comments Form

3 Comments

  1. | Michael

    Justice has been served. It should have been longer.

    Reply

  2. | Barbara

    If Chauvin was not a racist, what was his knee doing on the neck of a blackman for nearly 9 minutes, and was kept there, long after the life of George Floyd was extinguished. Was Chauvin hard of hearing that he did not hear Mr Floyd, and the voice of bystanders pleading with him to get up off of Mr Floyd’s neck?Chauvin’s mother says it is not right that her son will now be known as a racist, She’s not sorry her son committed murder, only that he will be known as a racist. That comment speaks volume of both her and her sons Racist character.

    Reply

    • | Wilber Doughty

      Well said no human being should be treated that way, Floyd was killed in a insidious slow way, and was handcuffed so was no threat to the police officer Dereck Chauvin so there was no need for Chauvin to forcefully put his knee on his neck and back until he died of asphyxation, and the bystanders that were police officers in the back ground were just as bad for letting Chauvin carry on with this ominous treatment of an unarmed black man, Chauvins mother is obviously racist trying to make out her son is a good man, no good man would treat any human being in such a callous way. Rest in peace Floyd. The struggle continues…

      Reply

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