Accused of asphyxiating George Floyd, former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty, Tuesday, April 20, of second and third degree murder and manslaughter, by the jury, after two days of deliberation behind closed doors . The judge will have to pronounce the sentence, one or two months after this conviction. The most serious offense, second degree murder, can carry up to 40 years in prison.
The 45-year-old white police officer was on trial for the death of the African-American, whom he arrested with three other officers for a minor offense, on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis. For more than nine minutes, he had kept his knee on the neck of the forty-something, who was lying on his stomach, his hands cuffed behind his back.
The jurors represented the diverse population of the city: seven women and five men, six whites and six people of color; the youngest is in his twenties and the oldest in his sixties.
The outcome of this trial aroused the concern of the authorities, who feared violence. More than 400 people marched in Minneapolis on Monday to demand the conviction of Derek Chauvin. In the federal capital, Washington, authorities have also put law enforcement on alert in anticipation of protests that could follow the verdict. In New York, the police assured that they were ready to intervene in case of violence.
Images that shocked the world
The agony of George Floyd, filmed live by passers-by, shocked the world and sparked protests of historic proportions against racism and police violence. “This case is exactly what you initially thought of, watching this video”, said Monday, prosecutor Steve Schleicher in his indictment. “It was murder, the accused is guilty of all three counts and there is no excuse, he said. He called for help with his last breath, but the officer did not help, the accused stayed on him. “
The prosecution, which called several witnesses from the police to the stand, stressed that this trial was not that of the institution, but of an individual who “Betrayed” his police oath.
Derek Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, on the contrary called on the jurors to take into account the context of an arrest which, according to him, degenerates with a suspect of an imposing size who resists four police officers wanting to control him.
Derek Chauvin acted ” reasonable “ given the circumstances, argued the lawyer, saying that the police officers were ” human being “ who “Can make mistakes in very stressful situations”.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, invited himself Tuesday in the debates, believing that the evidence was “Overwhelming” against the former policeman. The day before, he had spoken on the phone with relatives of George Floyd, according to the White House.
