Derek Chauvin sentenced to over 22 years
Derek Chauvin, the US white ex-police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd (48) in Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail. The judge said Derek Chauvin’s sentence was based “on your abuse of a position of trust and authority, and also the particular cruelty shown” to Mr Floyd.
Mr. Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes.
His murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality.
Chauvin was also told to register as a predatory offender and was barred from owning firearms for life.
He and three former officers are separately charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
Mr Floyd’s sister Bridgett Floyd said the sentence “shows that matters of police brutality are finally being taken seriously” but there is still “a long way to go”.
President Joe Biden said the sentence “seemed t be appropriate” but admitted that he did not know all the details.
The judge said the case had been painful for the community and the country, but above all, for Mr. Floyd’s family. Chauvin told the court he offered his condolences to the Floyd family, saying there would be “some other information in the future” and he hoped “things will give you some peace of mind”. However, he did not apologise.
Chauvin’s sentence was “one of the longest a former police officer has ever received” for deadly force said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Floyd bought a pack of cigarette at a convenience store in May 2020, when a shop assistant believed he had used a counterfeit note and called police officer after Mr Floyd refused to give the cigarette back. When officers arrived, they ordered Mr Floyd out of his parked car and handcuffed him. A struggle ensued wen officers tried to put a screaming Mr Floyd in their squad car. They wrestled him to the ground and pinned him under their weight. Chauvin pressed his knee into the back of Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. As he was being restrained Mr Floyd said more than 20 times that he could not breathe, pleading for his mother and begging “please, please, please”. When ambulance arrived Mr Floyd was motionless. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.