Jury Finds Chauvin Guilty of All Charges in Floyd Killing

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of all charges in the murder trial of George Floyd, whose death led to months of demonstrations against police brutality last summer.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder; and second-degree manslaughter.

The end of deliberations came one day after the closing arguments and rebuttals in the three-week trial were presented by defense lawyers and the prosecution on April 19 in Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill’s courtroom.

The amount of time Chauvin will actualyl serve will be determined in coming weeks after a pre-sentencing report, other processes and possible special circumstances are presented to Judge Cahill. After the verdict was announced, Chauvin’s bail was revoked and he was taken into custody immediately.

George Floyd was arrested on May 25, 2020, on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store in the Minnesota city’s Powderhorn Park neighborhood.

He died soon after, gasping “I can’t breathe” as Chauvin thrust his knee into the handcuffed ex-security guard’s neck. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds in the street.

The horrific scene was caught on multiple cell phone cameras. Two other officers helped hold Floyd down, while a third prevented onlookers from intervening.

Moments before the verdict was announced, the House rejected a Republican resolution to censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for saying that “we’ve got to get more confrontational” about police brutality against African Americans.

Lawmakers voted along party lines 216-210, with no defections on either side, to table the resolution from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Republicans argued that Waters incited violence with her remarks at a protest over the weekend in Minneapolis, where tensions are spiking over the Chauvin trial.

The outspoken California politician told reporters covering the protest that she hoped for a guilty verdict. Asked what she thought protesters should do, she said, “We have got to stay on the street. We have got to get more active. We have got to get more confrontational. We have got to make sure that they know we mean business.”