The US white ex-police officer, Derek Chauvin, convicted of murdering African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in jail. The judge said Derek Chauvin’s sentence was based “on your abuse of a position of trust and authority, and also the particular cruelty shown” to Mr Floyd.
Mr Floyd, 48, died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes. His murder caused global protests against racism and police brutality. Chauvin, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder and other charges last month. With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could be paroled after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years. During his trial, his lawyer described the killing as “an error made in good faith”. Chauvin was also told to register as a predatory offender and was barred from owning firearms for life. He and three other former officers are separately charged with violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Floyd’s sister, Bridgett, applauded the sentence, saying it showed “matters of police brutality are finally being taken seriously.”
In April, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin has been held at the state’s only maximum-security prison. Hours before the hearing, the judge denied Chauvin’s motion for a new trial, saying his attorney failed to prove abuses from the court as well as prosecutorial or juror misconduct.
