George Floyd: Former police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder

Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murder

Derek Chauvin, a former white policeman and former Minneapolis police officer was convicted Tuesday of killing African-American George Floyd after a racially charged trial was considered a crucial test in the United States police response. Judges deliberated less than 11 hours before finding 45-year-old Chauvin guilty of all three charges: second-degree homicide, third-degree homicide, and homicide. The crowd gathered outside Minneapolis's heavily guarded courthouse was overjoyed, with some in tears, as decisions were handed down after a three-week national trial.

Chauvin, who was released on bail, was handcuffed after Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill read out a unanimous decision reached by a judge of racially diverse men, seven women, and five men. Dressed in unity and showing no visible emotion, Chauvin was dragged out of court by a deputy as one of Floyd's brothers, Philonise Floyd, welcomed the prosecutors. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison on a more serious charge - second-degree murder. The sentencing will be delayed.

A 19-year-old Minneapolis police veteran appeared in a video kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes lying face down in handcuffs and repeatedly saying "I can't breathe." The death of 46-year-old Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020 for allegedly embezzling $ 20 counterfeit sparked protests against racial injustice and police brutality around the world. Prior to the ruling, cities in the United States had been rocked by riots, and National Guard troops were deployed to Minneapolis. George Floyd's brother, Rodney, told AFP that Black people in America had been the victims of deadly injustices at the hands of the authorities for centuries. "We needed to win this case, it's very important, and we got it and hello, we can actually breathe better now," he added.

President Joe Biden called on members of the Floyd family to say he was "relieved" of the decisions, and later he and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation on television. "This could be a step in the right direction for the United States," Biden said, urging citizens to "unite" to fight apartheid and violence. Harris, the first U.S. vice president and first black woman, told the family that "the day of justice in America," and that "history will look back on this time."