After fatally kneeling on the neck of George Floyd in May of 2020, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The verdict was read by Judge Peter Cahill in a Hennepin County court following the deliberation of the 12-member jury.
Judge Cahill announced that Chauvin’s bail was to be revoked. The disgraced former police officer was handcuffed in the courtroom and taken into custody. Judge Cahill confirmed that the sentence would arrive in eight weeks.
Following the guilty verdict, Floyd family attorney Ben Crump issued a statement:
“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. We thank Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and his team for their fierce dedication to justice for George. But it does not end here. We have not forgotten that the other three officers who played their own roles in the death of George Floyd must still be held accountable for their actions, as well.”
“Today the world had its hope and faith restored in the American justice system,” added civil rights attorney L. Chris Stewart. “All that people crave is accountability when an officer kills a Black American. For far too long that had never happened. Now George Floyd’s soul can finally rest in peace. Justice has been served.”
Watch the reading of the guilty verdict below.