Derek Chauvin Found GUILTY On All Three Counts
One of the highest-profile court cases in years has come to an end, with former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd.
The jury delivered their verdict Tuesday afternoon after roughly 10 hours of deliberations.
Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts – second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Derek Chauvin is a former police officer undergoing a trial on murder charges in a Minnesota state court for the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020.
**BREAKING** Derek Chauvin verdict:
GUILTY 2nd Degree Murder
GUILTY 3rd Degree Murder
GUILTY 2nd Degree Manslaughter— Rena Sarigianopoulos (@RenaKARE11) April 20, 2021
During the now infamous arrest made by Chauvin and three other officers, he knelt on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed, lying face down on the street.
His trial began on March 8 and marked the first time that a judge in Minnesota authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial.
‘You were told, for example, that Mr. Floyd died because his heart was too big … the truth of the matter is, that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvin’s heart was too small.’ pic.twitter.com/hbyLDVvCwz
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 20, 2021
The 13 day trial had some tense and emotional testimony from witnesses and Judge Peter Cahill sent the jurors to deliberate after attorneys on both sides concluded lengthy closing arguments Monday.
Judge Cahill warned jurors not to allow “bias, prejudice, passion, sympathy or public opinion” to influence their decision as they weigh Chauvin’s fate. He also instructed jurors not to consider any “consequences or penalties” that may arise from the verdict.
Guilty on all charges.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) April 20, 2021
Derek Chauvin is a convicted murderer.
That’s good. But this is a not a case of a few bad apples. The system itself is broken. Let’s find the courage as a nation to fix it.
RIP George Floyd.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) April 20, 2021
BREAKING VERDICT:
Guilty on all counts.
Jury convicts former officer Derek Chauvin of SECOND-DEGREE UNINTENTIONAL MURDER… THIRD-DEGREE MURDER… *and* SECOND-DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER for the death of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/xRCelWcDan
— Robert Price (@RobertPriceTV) April 20, 2021