Saturday, 26 June 2021 04:13

George Floyd murder: Derek Chauvin sentenced to over 22 years

Rate this item
(0 votes)

The US white ex-police officer convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd 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.

Floyd, 48, died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes.

His murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality.

Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges last month. During his trial, his lawyer described the killing as "an error made in good faith".

Chauvin was also told to register as a predatory offender and was barred from owning firearms for life.

He and three other former officers are separately charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights.

The Floyd family and their supporters welcomed the sentence.

"This historic sentence brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by delivering closure and accountability," lawyer Ben Crump tweeted.

Floyd's sister Bridgett Floyd said the sentence "shows that matters of police brutality are finally being taken seriously" but there was still "a long way to go".

President Joe Biden said the sentence "seemed to be appropriate" but admitted that he did not know all the details.

What was said during the sentencing hearing?

During the sentencing hearing, Mr Floyd's brother Terrence Floyd demanded the maximum available, a sentence of 40 years.

"Why? What were you thinking? What was going through your head when you had your knee on my brother's neck?" he said.

Mr Floyd's daughter Gianna, aged seven, appeared in a video recording, saying she missed him and she loved him.

"I ask about him all the time," she said. "My daddy always used to help me brush my teeth."

The judge said the case had been painful for the community and the country, but above all, for Mr Floyd's family.

"What the sentence is not based on is emotion, or sympathy, but at the same time, I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain that all the families are feeling, especially the Floyd family," said Judge Peter Cahill.

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.

In court, Chauvin's mother said he was a "good man".

"I have always believed in your innocence and I will never waver from that," said Carolyn Pawlenty.

Chauvin's sentence was "one of the longest a former police officer has ever received" for deadly force, said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

What happened to George Floyd?

He bought a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store in May 2020. A shop assistant believed he had used a counterfeit note and called police after Floyd refused to give the cigarettes back.

When officers arrived, they ordered Floyd out of his parked car and handcuffed him. A struggle ensued when 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 the ambulance arrived, Mr Floyd was motionless. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

His death was filmed by Darnella Frazier, now 18, who was out walking with her cousin when she saw his arrest.

She said she began recording the incident on her phone because "I saw a man terrified, begging for his life".

Earlier this month, Frazier was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious award in American journalism.

 

BBC

June 28, 2025

Nigeria experiences sharp decline in Foreign Investment as FDI fell 19% in Q1 2025

Nigeria’s appeal to foreign investors continued to wane in the first quarter of 2025, with…
June 26, 2025

Peter Obi decries ‘coordinated lawlessness’ after brother’s property is demolished in Lagos without court order

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned what he described as a brazen act of…
June 28, 2025

7 genius responses to ‘put rude people in their place,’ according to communication experts

Kathy & Ross Petras Rude people are, sadly, all around us. We deal with them…
June 21, 2025

Man convicted of posing as flight attendant to fly for free 120 times

A 35-year-old American man has been found guilty of impersonating a flight attendant at least…
June 26, 2025

17 soldiers killed, dozens injured in fierce gun battles with terrorists in Niger, Kaduna

Seventeen soldiers have been confirmed dead and at least ten others injured following coordinated attacks…
June 29, 2025

Here’s the latest as Israel-Hamas war enters Day 632

IDF kills key Hamas founder and mastermind of Oct 7 terror attack in Israel The…
June 25, 2025

Tesla robotaxi launch: Why getting from dozens to millions of self-driving cars won't be easy

Tesla (TSLA.O) finally has a robotaxi. Now comes the hard part. The electric-vehicle maker deployed…
May 13, 2025

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualify for World Cup after dramatic win over Senegal

Nigeria's U-20 national football team, the Flying Eagles, have secured their place at the 2025…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.