Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of all charges against for the death of George Floyd nearly a year ago.
He was found guilty on Tuesday, by a 12 member jury who reached a verdict for his involvement in the death of George.
During the final arguments that found him guilty, a prosecutor accused Chauvin of killing Floyd, an African American, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher summed up the case against Chauvin, who held down the handcuffed Floyd as he lay on a city street and gasped 27 times, according to videos of his arrest that he could not breathe.
“He was trapped … a knee to his neck with Chauvin’s weight on him for nine minutes and 29 seconds.”
“George Floyd was not a threat to anyone, all that was required was some compassion, and he got none.” He said
A defence attorney, Eric Nelson, contended that Floyd died partly from drug use and that Chauvin was following his police training in the way he arrested Floyd last May on the curb of a street in Minneapolis.
The judge announced that Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter as he faces up to 75 years in prison when he returns for sentencing in eight weeks.
Derek Chauvin has been remanded in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff as he was directed out of the courtroom in handcuffs moments after the verdict was read in his murder case.
Meanwhile, shouts of joy have rocked the city of Minneapolis since the verdict was passed.
Ben Crump, one of the attorneys for George Floyd’s family in a statement said:
“Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state.”
Before his death, Floyd was suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby convenience store.
