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Derek Chauvin sentenced for the murder of George Floyd

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Derek Chauvin (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison by Hennepin county Judge Peter Cahill on Friday.

Derek Chauvin (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)

The former Minneapolis police officer was found guilty on all counts in April for the murder of George Floyd which occurred in May of 2020.

Cup Foods in the square where Floyd was killed (photo by Rhonda Day)

The incident caused mass protests around the country and became a rallying point for those who sought to bring police officers to a higher standard of accountability.

The trial was an emotional three-week long process which has now come to a close. Under Minnesota law, Chauvin will be required to serve 2/3, or 15 years, of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

According to a report by CNN, Judge Cahill stated that Chauvin “abused his position of trust or authority” and treated Floyd with “particular cruelty.”

 

(photo by Rhonda Day)

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, the three other officers present during the incident, are still facing charges of their own. Their trial was to be televised on August 23 but has sense been pushed to March 7 of 2022.

The postponement is due to the Justice Department bringing federal charges against the four. Kueng and Thao are now facing the additional charge of failing to intervene to prevent Chauvin from killing Floyd. Kueng, Thao and Lane also face charges of failing to provide medical care to Floyd, with “deliberate indifference” to Floyd’s suffering, according to a report by NPR.

The NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson also weighted in, saying that the charges are a step in the right direction, however urgent reforms are also needed, according to the NPR report.

The NAACP has been working with lawmakers and passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which seeks to create a national registry of police misconduct – the National Police Misconduct Registry – which will compile data received on complaints and records of misconduct shown by police officers and will establish new reporting requirements.

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