The Verdict of the Derek Chauvin Trial
April 22, 2021
Today, on April 20, 2021, Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd, was found guilty. After 10 hours, he was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter by the jury. The sentencing is set to take place in about 8 weeks; Chauvin faces up to 40 years for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder, and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.
Politicians such as AOC have stated their thoughts on the verdict, declaring that this is what accountability looks like, not justice. If this were justice, George Floyd would be going home to his family, not dead.
According to the NY Times, the death of George Floyd created the largest civil rights protest in decades. The topic and talk surrounding social and racial injustice became more open, known, and prominent globally after the unfortunate death of Mr. Floyd.
To summarize what had happened to George Floyd, ESPN wrote, “Floyd was killed on May 25 after Minneapolis police officers responded to a call shortly after 8 p.m. about a possible forgery at a corner grocery. Floyd, saying he was claustrophobic as officers tried to put him in a squad car, ended up handcuffed and face-down in the street.” The scene that went viral happened after Floyd was knocked to the ground by the officers. Derek Chauvin had his knee to Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes. This moment was caught on camera with Floyd screaming “I can’t breathe” several times before shortly passing away.
This verdict has somewhat sated the millions of civilians outraged by the death of Mr. Floyd. Police officers are usually excused for their criminal actions due to their status. Many say Chauvin being guilty on all counts is accountability for one man, and hopefully it is a step towards accountability for others on the long road to justice and true reform. All the other officers who had a “freebie” and the system itself are next when it comes to achieving true justice.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/20/us/derek-chauvin-verdict-george-floyd
