Minneapolis, United States:
Former policeman Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison on Friday for the murder of African American George Floyd, the killing that sparked America’s most significant demonstrations for racial justice in decades.
The white, 45-year-old Chauvin gave his “condolences” to the Floyd family in a Minneapolis court prior to Judge Peter Cahill handed down a lesser sentence than the 30 years the prosecution had sought.
“The sentence is not based on emotion or sympathy,” mentioned Cahill in the course of a tense hearing in which the court watched a recorded message by Floyd’s seven-year-old daughter and heard from Chauvin’s mother.
He added that it had not been based “on public opinion” either but on the law and the details distinct to the case, as he acknowledged the “deep and tremendous pain” the case had triggered, especially to the Floyd family.
Their lawyer known as the sentencing a “historic” step towards racial reconciliation in the United States.
“(It) brings the Floyd family and our nation one step closer to healing by delivering closure and accountability,” lawyer Ben Crump tweeted.
President Joe Biden weighed in saying: “I don’t know all the circumstances that were considered but it seems to me, under the guidelines, that seems to be appropriate.”
Chauvin, who has been behind bars considering that getting convicted on 3 counts of murder and manslaughter two months ago, wore a light grey suit as he learnt his fate following a trial that captivated the world.
He spoke briefly, soon after declining to testify in the course of his six-week trial.
“I do want to give my condolences to the Floyd family,” Chauvin mentioned soon after removing his face mask.
“At this time due to some additional legal matters at hand, I’m not able to give a full formal statement at this time.
“There’s going to be some other details in the future that would be of interest and I hope items will give you some peace of thoughts,” he added.
Before he spoke, Carolyn Pawlenty said her son, Chauvin, was a “excellent man.”
“I have often believed in your innocence and I will by no means waver from that,” she said.
Earlier, the court watched a moving video from the late Floyd’s seven-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd.
“I miss you and I appreciate you,” the girl said when asked in the recorded message what she said would say to her father today.
Chauvin and three colleagues arrested Floyd, 46, in May 2020 on suspicion of having passed a fake $20 bill in a store in Minneapolis, a northern city of around 420,000. They handcuffed him and pinned him to the ground in the street.
Chauvin then knelt on the back of Floyd’s neck for nearly 10 minutes, indifferent to the dying man’s groans and to the pleas of distraught passers-by.
The scene, filmed and uploaded by a young woman, quickly went viral. After weeks of home confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people poured onto streets across the country and overseas, to demand an end to racism and police brutality.
It took weeks for the mass demonstrations to taper off, but the debate around the pressing social issues remains vivid in the United States, where President Joe Biden has been slow to come up with the police reforms he promised during his campaign.
Minnesota law provides for a minimum sentence of 12.5 years but Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, his voice choking, told the court that Cahill should hand Chauvin the stiffest term possible.
He also urged Chauvin to explain the reason for the murder during an arrest last year.
“Why? What had been you considering? What was going by way of your head when you had your knee on my brother’s neck?” said Floyd.
Cahill identified aggravating circumstances that brought a heavier punishment.
In the pre-sentencing phase of the trial he said Chauvin had “abused his position of trust and authority,” treated Floyd with “unique cruelty” in front of minors and “committed the crime as a group with the active participation of at least 3 other” officers.
The judge declined to elaborate on how he had come to 22.5 years but mentioned he would detail them in a lengthy written judgment.
‘Particularly cruel’
Chauvin’s trial was closely followed by millions across the nation.
His lawyer mentioned he had followed police procedures in force at the time and that Floyd’s death was due to wellness difficulties exacerbated by drug use.
The jurors took significantly less than 10 hours to convict. Their choice was greeted with a enormous sigh of relief across the nation. Many had feared an acquittal would lead to worse unrest, whilst other people worried that as soon as once again a white police officer would get away with what they saw as murder.
With excellent behavior, Chauvin could serve just two-thirds of any prison sentence, with the remaining third on supervised release.
The defense will appeal the verdict, Nelson has mentioned, citing doubts more than the impartiality of some jurors.
On the eve of sentencing, the judge denied the defense’s request for a new trial.
Neither will the case finish with Chauvin: his 3 former colleagues will face trial in March 2022 on charges of complicity in homicide.
In parallel, the 4 males also face federal charges of violating Floyd’s constitutional rights. No date has but been set for that trial.
(This story has not been edited by TheSpuzz employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)