Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in a jury decision that US president Joe Biden said had the potential to be “a moment of significant change”.
Floyd’s death last year set off worldwide protests against racial injustice and Chauvin’s trial became one of the most closely watched US court cases in years.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty on all three charges — second-degree and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The second-degree murder count, the most serious charge, carries a prison sentence of up to 40 years.
In May last year, Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while arresting him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. The case amplified calls for greater accountability after police kill people of colour while performing their duties.
Biden called Floyd’s family after the verdict. “At least, God, now there is some justice,” he told them.
In a subsequent speech at the White House, the president expressed his relief at the result but noted that such verdicts were “much too rare”.
“Nothing can ever bring their brother, their father back. But this can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America,” he said, while also calling for police reform.
Chauvin, wearing a grey suit, a blue tie and a mask, furrowed his brow only slightly when the verdict was read. He was led away in handcuffs and will be sentenced in eight weeks.
Floyd’s death last year set off worldwide protests against racial injustice and Chauvin’s trial became one of the most closely watched US court cases in years.
In May last year, Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while arresting him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill. The case amplified calls for greater accountability after police kill people of colour while performing their duties.
Jury selection began on March 9, and opening statements began on March 29. Jurors deliberated for about 10 hours before announcing they had reached a verdict.
Speaking after the verdict, Keith Ellison, the Minnesota attorney-general who led the prosecution, said: “I would not call today’s verdict justice, however, because justice implies true restoration. But it is accountability, which is the first step towards justice.”
Race had been a central element of the trial and the attention around it, although both prosecutors and defence tried to separate the court case from its wider social context. Police are rarely charged when they kill someone in the line of duty, let alone convicted.
Floyd’s family held a press conference shortly after the conviction was announced, where they were joined by Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist, and their attorney Benjamin Crump.
“I feel relieved today that I finally have the opportunity to hopefully get some sleep,” said Philonise Floyd, George’s brother. “A lot of days that I prayed, and I hoped and I was speaking everything into existence. I said, ‘I have faith that he will be convicted’.”
“What is important to think about for justice, is what justice looks like for George Floyd’s family,” said Ashley Howard, a professor at the University of Iowa who studies the history of African Americans in the Midwest. “Any conviction will never bring back their father, their partner, their friend. But if a conviction brings some closure for the family, then they can call that justice.”
A crowd grew outside the Hennepin county government centre in downtown Minneapolis ahead of the announcement. One person led a familiar chat, shouting “Say his name”, to which the crowd responded, “George Floyd”.
The city had expected protests regardless of the jury’s decision. The government centre has been barricaded with a fence topped with concertina wire since March. The National Guard increased troops in the metro area last week following civil unrest in a northern suburb after police shot a 20-year-old black man during a traffic stop.
Six of the 12 jurors were white, four were black and two were multiracial, according to the Minnesota newspaper The Star Tribune.
The trial revolved around two issues: whether Chauvin’s use of force was justified and the precise cause of Floyd’s death.
Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo took the stand to condemn Chauvin’s actions while defence attorney Eric Nelson said force could be “awful but lawful” and that Chauvin should be judged on what any reasonable officer would have done in similar circumstances.
Prosecution witnesses primarily cited asphyxia as Floyd’s cause of death. Medical examiner Andrew Baker said Floyd died from cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by law enforcement. A lawyer for Chauvin said Floyd died of cardiac arrhythmia, pointing to prior health problems and drug use.
For Jada Brown, a Minneapolis protester who supported redirecting police department funding to social services, Chauvin’s conviction was “a first step. I don’t think it’s a victory.”
