Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, whose dying gasps under ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 knee led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations.
The punishment handed out Friday fell short of the 30 years that prosecutors had requested.
With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could be paroled after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APB次元官网网址檚 earlier story follows below.
Former police Officer Derek Chauvin broke his long courtroom silence Friday as he faced sentencing for the murder of George Floyd, offering condolences to FloydB次元官网网址檚 family and saying he hopes more information coming out will give them B次元官网网址渟ome peace of mind.B次元官网网址�
Chauvin, who did not testify at his trial, removed his COVID-19 and turned toward the Floyd family, speaking only briefly because of what he called B次元官网网址渟ome additional legal matters at handB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� an apparent reference to the federal civil rights trial he still faces.
B次元官网网址淏ut very briefly, though, I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family. ThereB次元官网网址檚 going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest. And I hope things will give you some some peace of mind,B次元官网网址� he said, without elaborating.
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson called FloydB次元官网网址檚 death B次元官网网址渢ragic,B次元官网网址� and that ChauvinB次元官网网址漵 B次元官网网址渂rain is littered with what-ifsB次元官网网址� from the day: B次元官网网址淲hat if I just did not agree to go in that day? What if things had gone differently? What if I never responded to that call? What if what if what if?B次元官网网址�
FloydB次元官网网址檚 family members took the stand and expressed sorrow about his death. They asked for the maximum penalty.
B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 want to see no more slaps on the wrist. WeB次元官网网址檝e been through that already,B次元官网网址� said a tearful Terrence Floyd, one of FloydB次元官网网址檚 brothers.
FloydB次元官网网址檚 nephew Brandon Williams said: B次元官网网址淥ur family is forever broken.B次元官网网址� And FloydB次元官网网址檚 7-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a video played in court, said that if she could say something to her father now, it would be: B次元官网网址淚 miss you and and I love you.B次元官网网址�
Prosecutor Matthew Frank asked the judge to exceed sentencing guidelines and give Chauvin 30 years in prison, saying B次元官网网址渢ortured is the right wordB次元官网网址� for what the officer did to Floyd.
B次元官网网址淭his is not a momentary gunshot, punch to the face. This is 9 1/2 minutes of cruelty to a man who was helpless and just begging for his life,B次元官网网址� Frank said.
ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, took the stand to plead for mercy for son, saying his reputation has been unfairly reduced to that of B次元官网网址渁n aggressive, heartless and uncaring personB次元官网网址� and a racist.
B次元官网网址淚 can tell you that is far from the truth,B次元官网网址� she told the judge. B次元官网网址淚 want this court to know that none of these things are true and that my son is a good man.B次元官网网址� She added: B次元官网网址淒erek, I want you to know I have always believed in your innocence, and I will never waver from that.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 will be here for you when you come home,B次元官网网址� she said.
The concrete barricades, razor wire and National Guard patrols at the courthouse during ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 three-week trial in the spring were gone Friday, reflecting an easing of tensions since the . Still, there was recognition that the sentencing was another major step forward for Minneapolis since Floyd died on May 25, 2020.
B次元官网网址淏etween the incident, the video, the riots, the trial B次元官网网址� this is the pinnacle of it,B次元官网网址� said Mike Brandt, a local defense attorney who closely followed the case. B次元官网网址淭he verdict was huge too, but this is where the justice comes down.B次元官网网址�
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against FloydB次元官网网址檚 neck for up to 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man gasped that he couldnB次元官网网址檛 breathe and went limp.
Bystander video of FloydB次元官网网址檚 arrest on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store prompted protests around the world and led to scattered violence in Minneapolis and beyond.
s called for 12 1/2 years, but Judge Peter Cahill agreed with prosecutors ahead of FridayB次元官网网址檚 proceedings that there were aggravating circumstances that could justify a heavier punishment B次元官网网址� among them, that Chauvin treated Floyd with particular cruelty, abused his position of authority as a police officer and did it in front of children.
The defense requested probation, saying Chauvin was the product of a B次元官网网址渂rokenB次元官网网址� system and B次元官网网址渂elieved he was doing his job.B次元官网网址�
With good behavior, Chauvin could get out on parole after serving about two-thirds of his sentence.
Before the sentencing, the judge denied ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 request for a new trial. Defense attorney Eric Nelson had argued that the intense publicity tainted the jury pool and that the trial should have been moved away from Minneapolis.
The judge also rejected a defense request for a hearing into possible juror misconduct. Nelson had accused a juror of not being candid during jury selection because he didnB次元官网网址檛 mention his participation in a march last summer to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Prosecutors countered the juror had been open about his views.
Ben Crump, an attorney for the family, said relatives were B次元官网网址渁nxious and tenseB次元官网网址� ahead of the proceedings. B次元官网网址淭o us, George Floyd is a cause. HeB次元官网网址檚 a case. HeB次元官网网址檚 a hashtag. To them B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 their flesh and blood. You know, that thatB次元官网网址檚 their brother,B次元官网网址� Crump said.
It was unclear whether Chauvin would break his long silence and speak at his sentencing. Some experts had expressed doubt he would say anything because of the risk his words could be used against him in the federal case. No date for that trial has been set.
But Brandt said Chauvin could say a few words without getting into legal trouble. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 his chance to tell the world, B次元官网网址業 didnB次元官网网址檛 intend to kill him,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� the attorney said. B次元官网网址淚f I was him, I think I would want to try and let people know that IB次元官网网址檓 not a monster.B次元官网网址�
Chauvin did not testify at his trial. The only explanation the public heard from him came from body-camera footage in which he told a bystander at the scene: B次元官网网址淲e got to control this guy B次元官网网址檆ause heB次元官网网址檚 a sizable guy B次元官网网址� and it looks like heB次元官网网址檚 probably on something.B次元官网网址�
Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University, said 11 non-federal law officers, including Chauvin, have been convicted of murder for on-duty deaths since 2005. The penalties for the nine who were sentenced before Chauvin ranged from from six years, nine months, to life behind bars, with the median being 15 years.
With ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 sentencing, the Floyd family and Black America faced something of a rarity: In the small number of instances in which officers accused of brutality or other misconduct against Black people have gone to trial, the list of acquittals and mistrials is longer than the list of sentencings after conviction.
In recent years, the acquittals have included officers tried in the deaths of Philando Castile in suburban Minneapolis and Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two mistrials were declared over the death of Samuel Dubose in Cincinnati.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why the world has watched this trial, because it is a rare occurrence,B次元官网网址� said Arizona-based civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor, who has represented victims of police brutality. B次元官网网址淓verybody knows that this doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen every day.B次元官网网址�
Several people interviewed in Minneapolis before ChauvinB次元官网网址檚 sentencing said they wanted to see a tough sentence.
Thirty years B次元官网网址渄oesnB次元官网网址檛 seem like long enough to me,B次元官网网址� said Andrew Harer, a retail worker who is white. B次元官网网址淚 would be fine if he was in jail for the rest of his life.B次元官网网址�
Joseph Allen, 31, who is Black, said he would like to see Chauvin get a life sentence, adding that he hopes other police officers learn B次元官网网址渘ot to do what Derek Chauvin did.B次元官网网址�
As for whether she would like to hear Chauvin speak, Levy Armstrong said: B次元官网网址淔or me as a Black woman living in this community, thereB次元官网网址檚 really nothing that he could say that would alleviate the pain and trauma that he caused. B次元官网网址� I think that if he spoke it would be disingenuous and could cause more trauma.B次元官网网址�
Chauvin has been held since his conviction at the stateB次元官网网址檚 maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, where he has been kept in a cell by himself for his own protection, his meals brought to him.
The three other officers are scheduled for trial in March on state charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.
B次元官网网址� Amy Forliti And Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
