A United States jury has found guilty, Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, of murdering African-American George Floyd citizen last year.
The 12-member jury found 45-year-old Chauvin guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter. He was taken into custody immediately from the courtroom. The trial that started late in March, lasted three weeks.
A large number of people were gathered outside the heavily guarded downtown Minneapolis courtroom to witness the trial. After the judgment was announced, people congratulated each other with hugs and tears of relief.
Under the judgment, Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder while sentencing will be announced at a later date.
The 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force was seen on video choking Floyd with his knee for more than nine minutes as he lay face down and handcuffed on the ground saying repeatedly “I can’t breathe.”
The 46-year-old’s death during the arrest (for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill) sparked outrage all over the country against police brutality and racial injustice against the black community.
#BlackLivesMatter and #Antifa were the two most popular movements that started in the US after Floyd’s mother and took the country by storm. Several violent clashes were reported with the police in which a score of people were killed and injured.
Soon after the verdict, US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke to the Floyd family on the phone.
“At least now there is some justice,” Biden said, vowing to get a lot more done to stop racial injustice.
“This is going to be a first shot at dealing with genuine systemic racism,” the president said, adding, “Systemic racism is a stain on the entire nation’s soul.”
The Biden administration also plans on introducing police reforms to ensure that such incidents don’t repeat in the future.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris urged lawmakers to pass the George Floyd bill aimed at reforming policing in the US.
“This bill is part of George Floyd’s legacy. This work is long overdue,” she said.
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