Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis Police Officer, was found guilty on all charges of murder and manslaughter in a Minnesota court by a jury for the death of George Floyd.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) issued a statement after the verdict.
“Minnesota mourns with you, and we promise the pursuit of justice for George Floyd does not end today,” Walz said. “True justice for George Floyd’s family only comes from real, systematic change to prevent this from happening again.”
Chauvin chose to not testify during his trial before the final verdict. “I will invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege today,” he said. When asked by the judge if it was his decision to make that choice, he continued, “It is, your honor.”
The jury was given two sides of who George Floyd was: a family guy who was working to build a better life and a man who struggled sometimes with wrong decisions while with friends.
On May 25, 2020, Floyd walked into Cups Food convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes, in which he purchased with a counterfeit $20 dollar bill. Christopher Martin, a 19-year-old store clerk, testified that once he noticed the fraudulent bill he tried multiple times to get Floyd and his friends to return to the store. Martin’s manager then called 911 to report a ‘stubborn’ Floyd.
In the minutes following, the altercation had escalated with police as Floyd was pinned down to the ground pleading for his life saying “I am not a bad guy.” Video footage proved that Chauvin had Floyd positioned with his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes without oxygen.
The killing of the 46-year-old African American man caught the attention of thousands of protesters across the nation, igniting a outcry for justice.
In the months following Floyd’s death, The former police officer pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, along with, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with George Floyd’s family following the verdict to let them know that this is not the end.
Biden and Harris also addressed the nation on the steps forward.
“Here’s the truth about racial injustice,” Harris said. “It is not just a Black America problem or a people of color problem; it is a problem for every American…It is holding our nation back from realizing our full potential.”
President Biden followed with words of solidarity. In addition, he spoke on their combination rally for lawmakers to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“No one should be above the law and today’s verdict sends that message,” Biden said. “But it’s not enough. We can’t stop here.”
The verdict was delivered after 10 hours of deliberations over two days. Chauvin is facing 12 years to life in prison.
Austin Urban Post 
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