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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced Friday to more than 22 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, whose death became a turning point in the national debate over race and police.
The 270-month sentence handed down by Judge Peter Cahill was ten years longer than state guidelines had suggested, despite the defense’s clemency petition.
“This is not based on emotions or sympathy,” Cahill said during a hearing at the Hennepin County government center in Minneapolis. “But at the same time, I want to acknowledge the deep and tremendous pain of all families, especially the Floyd family.”
The sentence, he told Chauvin, was based on his abuse of authority and his “particular cruelty” to George Floyd.
Chauvin, 45, was found guilty in April after a six-week trial. The former Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest while Floyd shouted several times that he could not breathe.
Chauvin said before the sentencing that he could not give a full statement for ongoing legal issues (he is likely to appeal), but offered condolences to the Floyd family.
During the sentencing hearing, Terrence Floyd cried as he explained to the court how his brother’s murder affected him.
“I wanted to know for the man himself, why? What was on your mind when you had your knee on my brother’s neck? He said, “Why did you stay?”
“On behalf of me and my family, we seek maximum punishment,” he added. “We don’t want any more blows to the wrist.”
Speaking on video, George Floyd’s 7-year-old daughter, Gianna, said that if she could talk to her father now she would say, “I miss you and I love you.”
Floyd’s death sparked protests for racial justice in the United States and around the world, after the incident was filmed and posted online. Darnella Frazier, who was 17 when she filmed the murder, was later awarded a special appointment from the Pulitzer Prize table.
The assassination drew attention to the disproportionate number of murders of black Americans at the hands of the police and sparked a broader dialogue on racial inequality throughout American society.
Police officers are rarely loaded, and even less convicted of murder for murders committed during service. But a jury condemned Chauvin of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree homicide. He was only convicted on the most serious charge.
Prosecutors had asked the judge for a 30-year sentence, while the defense was seeking parole.
Carolyn Pawlenty, Chauvin’s mother, told her son that she still believed in his innocence and asked for clemency in court.
“The public will never know the affectionate and affectionate man he is, but his family will,” he said. “Derek has played over and over in his head the events of that day.”
Cahill wrote in a decision explaining his reasoning that “part of the mission of the Minneapolis police department is to give ‘voice and respect’ to the citizens. Here, Mr. Chauvin, instead of following the MPD mission, addressed to Mr. Floyd without respect and denied him the dignity he owed to all human beings and which he would no doubt have extended to a friend or neighbor ”.
Three other officers were present at the time of Floyd’s death. Former officers Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao will be tried in March on charges of aiding and abetting the murder.
Following the verdict, the media outnumbered activists and observers located outside the courthouse. But a man, Leon Lawson, had driven from Michigan with his four-year-old son to be there. Lawson said his uncle had turned more than 50 years old for a murder committed as a young man. He said two decades for Chauvin was not enough.
“I wanted my son to see our judicial system in front of and in person,” he said. “To say he was here when the boy was sentenced and to be able to compare the difference by skin color. . . I guess that’s a step in the right direction, so we’re going to take what we can get. “
Attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented the Floyd family in a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis, said Friday that “a sentence does not solve a criminal justice problem.”
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