The Minnesota court found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges of George Floyd's death. The decision was made yesterday, April 20, and it took the group a little over 10 hours to reach a decision. Chauvin was found guilty of three counts: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. His bail was immediately revoked and he was placed in custody. The sentence could be handed down within two months and Chauvin could spend decades in prison.
In Minnesota, second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Third-degree murder is punishable by up to 25 years in prison and manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Police officers have rarely been convicted of manslaughter-related murders, and the verdict in this trial has been widely seen as an indication of how the US legal system will handle such cases in the future.
Three other officers will face trial this year on charges of aiding and abetting Floyd's murder.
Several hundred people cheered outside the court as the verdict was announced.
The Floyd family lawyer, Ben Crump, said the decision marked a "turning point in history" for the United States. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris telephoned the Floyd family after the decision.
Last year, on May 25, Chauvin placed the knee on George Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes while Floyd handcuffed lay on the ground, even though he said he could not breathe.
Floyd's assassination sparked massive protests for days in the US but also in other parts of the world, while police violence against the colored community has always been on the rise for years.
