The jury is out and the verdict is in—former Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin, 45 is “guilty as charged” and convicted of murder on April 20. He was handcuffed and was escorted out of the courtroom straight to a maximum-security prison for the murder of George Floyd who was killed outside the Cup Foods convenience store on May 26, 2020 thanks to a civilian named Darnella Frazier who filmed the surveillance video with her cell phone. TMZ reports that if it weren’t for this young 17-year-old hero, the murder case would have been “swept under the rug” and Chauvin would still have been a cop. But has justice really been served? It’s not over yet. Three other former police officers who were involved in Floyd’s death are facing their fate in court next. The former officers—J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao will be tried together. The state of Minnesota charged them each with two counts of aiding and abetting—one for second-degree murder and the other for second-degree manslaughter.
According to News 12/The Associated Press, twelve jurors found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter deciding that Chauvin’s actions were not that of a reasonable officer.
Prosecutors didn’t have to prove that Chauvin’s restraint on George Floyd justified his actions and that was the sole cause of Floyd’s death, only that his conduct and Chauvin used excessive force that cut off Floyd’s oxygen supply when he kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds was the “substantial causal factor.” Chauvin will be sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison for second-degree murder but if prosecutors successfully argue the aggravating factors he could face a much longer sentence that result in requiring a greater punishment.
YouTube video of Derek Chauvin trial:
Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson tried to raise doubts about Floyd’s death stating that it was an underlying heart condition and that drugs were to blame and Floyd was a threat, and Chauvin’s actions were reasonable. Little did he know, Chauvin’s force caused bodily harm and justice prevailed when the Black Lives Matter aka BLM movement protested against police officers like Chauvin for racial injustice. Chauvin murdered Floyd because of his race, and Floyd used a counterfeit bill at Cup Foods Convenience Store which is what triggered the trouble in the first place. Chauvin was escorted out in handcuffs the jury found him responsible for murdering Floyd. He had reckless disregard when he restrained Floyd and caused his death.
Meanwhile, after the verdict was read, people celebrated and were seen as jubilant outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Still, more needs to be done to combat racial injustice and violence involving police officers.